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HISTORY OF HYSTERIA Ganesha’s ‘milk miracle’ to braidchopping scare — unconfirmed ‘supernatural’ instances have been hitting headlines regularly

Parts of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab are gripped by fear after dozens of women reported that they have had their hair mysteriously chopped off while unconscious.

Many of the women have complained of being dazzled by a sudden flash of light, following which they fell unconscious. Once they gained their senses, they found their braids missing.

The reports have left many scared and paranoid. In Agra, a 62-year-old widow was beaten to death after locals suspected her to be behind the incidents. At many other places, residents are staying awake overnight to keep vigil.

Call it ignorance or superstition, instances of similar mass hysteria are not rare. The most celebrated of them was when idols of Lord Ganesha were said to be drinking milk in the 1990s, prompting devotees to throng temples across the country. HT looks back at examples of public frenzy, both past and present

Panic has been sweeping villages of Cuttack district’s Niali block since June this year with locals complaining of mysterious deaths of sheep. The liver and other internal organs of the dead sheep were found missing and locals blamed the killings on a ‘mystery creature’.

Some said a dog-like creature with long nails was on the prowl. To douse the panic, the state forest department initiated night patrolling. A team from the Simlipal National Park was also deployed with tranquilizer guns and drones. But nothing came out of the patrolling efforts.

Experts say a pack of wolves could be the culprit. For the time being, the hysteria has subsided a bit. But parts of Niali are still in panic.

In January 2017, social media was flooded with messages of ‘aliens from the outer space’ kidnapping children from Hoogly, Burdwan, North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts.

Soon, panic took hold and led to at least two lynchings by vigilante groups. A dozen other people were assaulted by angry villagers. The West Bengal government took note after an elderly NRI woman visiting the state was beaten up in Hoogly.

The hysteria died down just as suddenly as it started. Some 25 people were arrested either for spreading rumours or attacking innocent people.

An idol of Lord Hanuman was reported to be shedding tears at a temple in Meerganj of Uttar Pradesh’s