VARANASI: For the peace of souls of those unborn girls who were killed in their mothers’ womb, the rituals of last rites were performed on the bank of holy Ganga at Dashashwamedh ghat in Kashi on Wednesday. A social organisation–Aagman organises this event annually on the occasion of Matri Navami in Pitri Paksha to discourage female foeticide in the society.The pind daan of 5000 female children whose lives were seized before coming to this world was performed as per Vedic tradition amid chanting of mantras by a group of five priests led by Acharya Dinesh Shankar Dubey. "We believe that these ill-fated unborn girls, who could not get the right of living, should be given the right of 'moksha' (salvation)," Santosh Ojha, the founder of the organisation."Abortion of a foetus is like Wednesday killing of a living being. For their untimely death shradh rituals are needed as per Hindu belief for the soul’s peace and liberation," said Ojha adding that his organization holds the event annually to denounce female foeticide.A number of people joined the event and paid homage to such girls. The Mahanandaleshwar of Kinnar Akhada Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi, Pt. Kishori Raman Dubey, Mayank Mishra and many others took part in the rituals.

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