Temple Accused of Mistreatment of Mentally Ill

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INDIA, August 10, 2001: A temple in Rajasthan puts the mentally ill through unspeakable rituals in the quest for a cure, a newspaper reported on Friday. At the Mehendipur Balaji Temple, 100 km from Jaipur, the victims are forced to inhale the fumes of burning dung cakes, bathe in and drink water from a filthy water tank, and stay chained or lie pressed under heavy rocks, The Indian Express said. “Unfortunately, cruelty outside mental hospitals, especially in places of worship, doesn’t fall under the Mental Health Act. The law itself needs to be amended,” said Shiv Gautam, head of psychiatry at Jaipur’s SMS Hospital, who has treated many who have been to the Balaji temple.