No instances of human sacrifices occur in India in these days, but there are many practices and customs which appear to be the survivals of human sacrifices. These survivals are visible in the offerings of fowls, goats, buffaloes, and fruits like cocoanuts, brinjals, the Kohále or pumpkin gourd and others.
Human sacrifices are not practised in these days, but among the Karháda Bráhmans there is a practice of giving poison to animals in order to satisfy their family deity. It is said that they used to kill a Bráhman by giving him poisoned food.
It is believed that the people belonging to the caste of Karháda Bráhmans used to offer human sacrifices to their deity, and therefore nobody relies on a Karháda Bráhman in these days. There is a proverb in Maráthi which means that a man can trust even a Kasái or a butcher but not a Karháda.
As they cannot offer human sacrifices in these days, it is said that during the Navarátra holidays, i.e., the first nine days of the bright half of Ashvin (October), they offer poisoned food to crows, dogs and other animals.[17]
At Kálshe in the Málwan taluka of the Ratnágiri District, the servants of gods, i.e., the ministrants or the Bhopis of the temple prick their breast with a knife on the Dasara day, and cry out loudly the words ‘Koya’ ‘Koya’. No blood comes from the breast as the wound is slight. This appears to be a survival of human sacrifice.[18]
In the Bombay Presidency, and more especially in the Konkan districts, fetish stones are generally worshipped for the purpose of averting evil and curing diseases. In every village stones are found sacred to spirit deities like Bahiroba, Chedoba, Khandoba, Mhasoba, Zoting, Vetál, Jakhái, Kokái, Kalkái and others. The low class people such as Mahárs, Mángs, etc., apply red lead and oil to stones, and call them by one of the above names, and ignorant people are very much afraid of such deities. They believe that such deities have control over all the evil spirits or ghosts. It is said that the spirit Vetál starts to take a round in a village on the night of the no-moon day of every month, accompanied by all the ghosts. When any epidemic prevails in a village, people offer to these fetish stones offerings of eatables, cocoanuts, fowls and goats.
There is a stone deity named Bhávai at Kokisare in the Bávada State, to whom vows are made by the people to cure diseases. As the deity is in the burning ground, it is naturally believed that this is the abode of spirits.[19]
At Achare, in the Málwan taluka of the Ratnágiri District, the round stones known as Kshetrapál are supposed to possess the power of curing diseases, and are also believed to be the abode of spirits.[20]
At Adivare, in the Ratnágiri District, there is a stone named Mahár Purukha which is worshipped by the people when cattle disease prevails, especially the disease of a large tick or the cattle or dog louse.[21]
At Ubhádánda, in the Ratnágiri District, there are some stones which are believed to be haunted by Vetál, Bhutnáth, Rawalnáth and such other servants of the god Shiva, and it is supposed that they have the power of curing epidemic diseases. People make vows to these stones when any disease prevails in the locality.[22]