Bihar villagers worship bats as their lucky mascots

Sarsai (Patna), Sept 15 (ANI): For the residents of Sarsai village of Vaishali district in Bihar, bats are sacred, so much so that they are worshipped as deities in this sleepy hamlet, which has become popular as 'Bat Village'.

According to them, these bats have inhabited their village for past 150 to 200 years.

People come from far and wide to see these creatures," said Ganesh Paswan, a villager.

The villagers provide them a safe haven and look after them with utmost care and affection.

"We arrange for their food and water from time to time and they are very lucky for us," said Shiv Kumar Singh, another villager.

Bats are one of the most numerous kinds of mammals with nearly 950 different species, and belong to the order Chiroptera, that means, 'winged hand'.

India is home to around 100 species of bats, which, according to popular misconception, are considered unlucky by the people.

There is also a belief that bat meat is capable of curing asthma and the mammal is killed frequently for its meats, which is considered a delicacy. By Ajay Kumar (ANI)