Staf correspondent, NewsCrunch
An enterprising man rented a crow in Nashik, Maharashtra, to help devout Hindus perform ancestor worship.
The crow he handled took a bite from the offerings made by his customers. For each bite of the crow he charged Rs 10.
Hindus worship their ancestors annually in a 16-day period called Pitru Paksha, which ended on September 19.
They offer prayers and perform rituals to ensure their ancestors find peace in heaven.
A key element of the ritual is cooking a multi-course meal and offering it to crows, which are considered links to the departed souls.
But the expansion of cities have destroyed the habitat of these birds making them a rarity. So, during this period many struggle to find crows to accept the ritual offering, creating a novel business opportunity.
While it was known that crows were being offered for hire in this period, the practice was documented for the first time this year.