Saturday, 22 August 2009

Cambodia's 'Holy Cow' ceremony

Cambodian Buddhist monks chant before a dead 'magic cow' during a two-day religious event of Brahmanism in Damnak Sangker village, Pursat province, about 200 kilometers (124 miles) northwest of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Friday, Aug. 21, 2009. About 90 percents of Cambodians are Buddhists, but they also respect Brahmanism.
(AP photo/Heng Sinith)


Friday, August 21, 2009

LIVE News: Watch Now

Hundreds of Cambodians have begun a ceremony for the death of a 'holy cow' whose spit could supposedly cure several illnesses, local officials say.

The mystical calf, which reportedly had unusual skin that looked like crocodile hide, was born on Tuesday and died earlier on Thursday in northern Pursat province, village chief Sok Mim said.

He said around 100 villagers gathered at the house of the cow's owner for a three-day memorial ceremony.

'Some people used the spit from the cow's mouth to cure their toothache and other illness. They said they recovered from aches afterwards,' Sok Mim said.

A local police official said villagers believed the cow had mystical powers because there had been a lot of rain in the drought-hit village after its birth.

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