Six girls have reportedly been paraded naked in a religious ceremony believed to be done to bring down rain in India, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) today.
The incident took place in a village located in the Bundelkhand province, Madhya Pradesh which is currently facing a severe drought.
According to the BBC, the video that went viral on social media shows young girls walking naked with wooden sticks tied to frogs on their shoulders.
The girls involved in the video, who were reportedly as young as five years old, walked in a procession followed by a group of women singing songs of praise to the gods.
The procession stopped at every house in the village and the children would collect food. The food that was collected was donated to the local community temple.
Locals believe that the ritual will appease the rain gods and send rain to the region.
The Indian National Commission for the Protection of the Rights of the Child has requested a report from the Damoh district administration, the location where the village is located.
Madhya Pradesh police stated that they had not received an official report on the incident but informed that an investigation had been initiated.
"Action will be taken if we find that the child was forced to walk naked," said Damoh Police Officer, DR Teniwar.
Meanwhile, according to the Damoh district administration, the parents of the girls involved had agreed to the ceremony, even participating in the ritual.
