From Burari deaths to Rani Padmini's jauhar, most mysterious suicide cults that have happened in the history
From Burari deaths to Rani Padmini's jauhar, most mysterious suicide cults that have happened in the history
The mass suicide is the horrific fact that is hard to admit but yes it had happened in the history and left people stunned. Those Halloween stories are no lesser than a horror tales but they have actually happened. Recently a shocking mass suicide was reported in Delhi's Burari area, where 11 members of a family were found dead. 10 among 11 were hanged to the ceiling of the house and were blindfolded and gagged. The elder member was found in an adjacent room. Cops suspect it as the family was in occult practices and committed mass-suicide for salvation.
However, it has not happened for the first time, in ancient times and during the Dark Ages, it was common for entire groups of people to commit suicide to avoid subjugation to enemy invaders. People used to be involved in occult practices and whilst in the past few centuries ritual suicide has been seen within religious offshoots.
Let's take a look at the most notorious suicide cults that have happened in the history:
1906 Bali- Puputan
In 1906, a Balinese mass suicide ritual, known as 'Puputan' was committed so that its practitioners would avoid being captured and enslaved by the Dutch invaders. The King ordered that all valuables to be burnt and that everyone from the youngest child to the wives and priests be marched ceremoniously towards the aggressors. The head priest thrust a dagger deep into the King's heart signaling the commencement of Puputan. After which the entire group simultaneously began to kill one another. Around 1000 Balinese people committed suicide on that warm September afternoon, leaving little for the Dutch to do.
1873 Japan- Harakiri
Japanese ritual suicide known as Seppuku or Harakiri was practised as a part of the Samurai Bushido code of honour, to retain honour or lessen shame. In this suicide rituals, the individual would take a short sword known as a 'tanto' and plunge it into his abdomen, making an excruciatingly painful and lethal cut. In 1970 a group of rebels committed public Seppuku at the Japan Self-Defence Forces headquarters after an unsuccessful attempt to stage a coup d’etat.
India: Rani Padmini 'Jauhar'
Jauhar means the practice of the female mass suicide that occurred in Rajput kingdoms during Mughal times so that women could avoid capture and dishonour at the hands of enemy invaders. In the 14th century, Rani Padmini, the queen of Chittor, led all the royal ladies and their children to jump into a bonfire in order to protect themselves from the Sultan, Khilji of Delhi’s lustful army. A second and third Jauhar also took place in Chittor during the 16th century, which saw the obliteration of entire Rajput lineages.
1963 Vietnam: Self-immolation
Not all ritual suicide are connected to supernatural offerings or salvationist logic as has often been the case in contemporary times. In Buddhist monks case, in the sixities ritual suicide was a sign of protest against the Vietnam War. Thích Quang Duc fearlessly burnt himself to death in a busy Saigon road in 1963 to protest the persecution of Buddhists by South Vietnam’s administration. Later, the government repudiated the action and punished the monks further, many of whom followed Thích Quang Duc’s.
2018: India: Delhi's Burari Deaths Mystery
In a mysterious condition, 11 members of a family in Delhi's Burari area were found hanging to a ceiling, blindfolded and gagged. Cops recovered several handwritten notes and registers that point out they were involved in occult practices and committed mass suicide for salvation. However, cop suspects the youngest son Lalit Bhatia as the mastermind of the mass suicide. Cops are still probing the mysterious case of India till date.
1970 Guyana: People’s Temple Jonestown Massacre
In a small country Guyana, in 1978, 918 people allegedly committed suicide in a place named People's Temple. It is reported that Jim Jones was a self-proclaimed God and during the mass suicide, Jim Jones had given his supporters poisonous fruits. The supporters who refused to eat the poisoned fruit were forced to eat it at gunpoint. And last Jim Jones committed suicide. It is believed that Jim Jones had provoked such a large number of people to commit suicides only for salvation.