[meteorite-list] Mad Rush For Meteorite Remnants In India

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:28:35 2004
Message-ID: <200310271613.IAA10669_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/00427120015.htm

Orissa: Mad rush for meteorite remnants
The Hindu (India)
October 27, 2003

Kendrapara (UNI): It is all for the remnants of the meteorite, which crash landed at
Suniti village in coastal Orissa on September 27.

A mad rush has been on for the past few days, both in Suniti as well as adjoining
villages, for pieces of the celestial object.

With spades and crowbars in their hands, villagers are searching virtually each
inch of the land where the meteorite had landed, with the hope of getting smaller
pieces strewn around the field.

The villagers are optimistic that the extra-terrestrial objects must have fallen
on the paddy land and wanted to earn a fast buck by selling the remnants of
meteorites to the research-oriented organisations.

Remnants of 5.7 kg meteorite had already been taken over by the Geological Survey
of India (GSI) for further study.

The residents of Suniti and adjoining villages believe that God had given them an
opportunity in the form of extra-terrestrial objects to earn money.

The villagers were offered cash by several organisations, even by the government
bodies in liue of the meteorite. There had also been a great rush from the
officials and the scientists from across the country to the village to get the
pieces of meteorite from the villages.

Sources said that at least half a dozen celestial objects kept by the villagers
had reportedly been disposed of at a rate fixed by the villagers. Some have still
kept the extraterrestrial object with the hope of getting good luck in future.

Some villagers, sources said, had collected the remnants to preserve it for future
as the planetary objects carried religious sentiments.

Kendrapara District Magistrate Hemant Sharma admitted that some of the pieces of
meteorites were still in the possession of the villagers. He has asked the people
to hand over the meteorite treated under ''National Treasures'' category or face
criminal proceedings.
Received on Mon 27 Oct 2003 11:13:51 AM PST