Baby put in boiling oil actually safe; Rationalists explain

Rationalists have given an official explanation regarding the incident that I had reported on allvoices around two weeks ago. As it appears on TOI today, the baby that was 'dunked' into boiling oil and 'miraculously' came out alive was actually never in any danger, according to the rationalists who examined the situation.

They offered a scientific explanation. In Hubli, Mohan Guru Swami, the head priest of Lord Ayyapa Temple, boiled 10 kg of oil and dipped a year old baby into the pan for a split second. Professor Narendra Nayak, a post-graduate in medical biochemistry and national president of Federation of Indian Rationalists Association explained that these incidents are due to the oil-bubble effect.

When two viscous liquids of different specific gravities are mixed and slightly heated, the heavier one starts bubbling, creating an articial boiling impression. As bubbles rise to the top and form a froth-like formation along with smoke-like fumes, people mistake that it is boiling, said Prof. Nayak. This according to him is the Leidenfrost effect,in which a liquid, in near contact with a mass significantly hotter than its boiling point, produces an insulating vapour layer which keeps that liquid from boiling rapidly.

In my point of view, the rationalists explanation serves as just a scientific explanation to why the baby survived but it should not mean the couples should go about dipping their infants in a pot of boiling oil. It is good to have faith in people and God, but once they start doing activities that alter your perception of reality and trick you into believing that they have been sent by God, ask you to donate money so that a problem of yours disappears, regardless of any religion, then it is just wrong.

Source: TOI