Authorities in northern India recently reported a strange occurrence in the Ganges River last Wednesday when more than 80 bodies began surfacing in the body of water. Many of these bodies, they found, were of children.

While the number of bodies in the river is shocking, the authorities stated that the bodies were given traditional water burials. They were not victims of foul play.

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Villagers from Pariyar, a village 50 miles from the city of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh state, began noticing the bodies last Tuesday. Their attention was caught when dogs and vultures began gathering around the area.

This prompted the local authorities to investigate.

"The dead bodies were buried in the water," said Saumya Agarwal, the district magistrate of Unnao, which includes Pariyar. They resurfaced as the water levels receded."

While the practice of dispatching bodies is illegal in India, the practice still takes place. These occurrences are largely driven by the beliefs among some Hindus, namely that unwed girls should not be cremated.

Instead of cremation, the unwed girls are treated to a water burial. According to their beliefs, this ensures that she will be reborn into the same family.

Apart from this religious belief, the act of throwing bodies in the water is preferred by majority of the poor communities. This is due to the fact that they cannot afford cremation.

Thus, they resolve to throw their deceased into bodies of water such as the Ganges, which is India's holiest river.

Yet it is also India's most polluted.

Agarwal said that water burials are discouraged due to environmental reasons. However, it is also true that the practice has not stopped entirely. This is especially true for unwed girls.

When the officials spoke of the state of the bodies, they said the bodies were severely decomposed. This indicated that they were in water for a long time.

Agarwal continued by saying that authorities conducted DNA tests and cremated bodies in the soil according to the wishes of local residents.

TagsGanges river, Water burial