Mangalsutra rumour sparks panic in Karnataka

BENGALURU: Nobody knows how it began or who started it. But on Tuesday night, a sinister rumour started going around: that coral beads in the mangalsutra worn by women would bring misfortune to their husbands on Wednesday. Hour by hour, the rumour gained strength and by the next morning, many women were convinced that their coral beads would bring, not just misfortune, but death to their husbands.

Across six districts in Karnataka and a few border districts of Andhra Pradesh, women began pounding the beads with stones to ward away the doom. Some smashed the coral while still wearing their mangalsutra, evidently to protect their husbands, while others took it off to ensure not one bead remained. Local television channels beamed visuals of groups of women smashing the coral and the mass hysteria spiralled through the morning. Panic spread in Koppal, Chitradurga, Ballari, Davanagere and Raichur districts.

As the situation seemed to get out of hand, the state government's women and child development department issued a public appeal around noon, requesting women not to be misled by rumours. The department also issued instructions to deputy commissioners in the districts to immediately take steps to quell the rumours and create awareness among people. Authorities were also asked to crack down against those spreading the rumour.


As was the case with Ganesha drinking milk some 20 years ago, the origin of the rumour remained unknown. Rationalists appealed to women to ignore such talk. "There is no connection between the red coral and one's life. Red coral (known as havala in Kannada) has been associated with the mangalsutra for several centuries now because of their ornamental value," one of them said.