'South India Superstition' Is a short documentary series I shot in Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu province while on assignment with @pandey.akanksha. I thought I would share this because upon initial inspection, I could never had guessed why plastic bags were tied to Banyan trees all over parts in rural areas outside Pondicherry. Unaware that they are contributing to environment pollution, cattle farmers in the districts down south are 'religiously' hanging cow placenta, wrapped in sacks, on Banyan trees or are dumping it in wells. The reason: They believe the cows will give more milk if they do so. This occurrence is everywhere around the villages and has a widespread environmental impact. Local farmers say after calving they hang the placenta of the cows on banyan tree or cactus as they believe by doing so, the quantity of milk will increase on par with the level of the milk (white sap) in the tree or cactus. There are many a banyan tree and cactus plant, sporting placentas wrapped in sacks, in the villages across the southern districts. Traditionally palm leaves were used for wrapping placenta, but have recently been replaced with plastic bags. Is there value to preserving traditions such as these with a clear environmental impact, or do we humans have to relook the way we engage with our culture to ensure a sustainable future for our planet? Scan + dev @capefilmsupply #madewithkodak @kodak