Missing Bengaluru girl drawn to shamanism traced to Ahmedabad

BENGALURU: A 17-year-old girl who had fled her home in the city on October 31 last year, following personal reasons and being drawn to shamanism, has been rescued from a private orphanage in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
The girl reunited with her parents on January 16. Police said she left home in pursuit of shamanism (an ancient practice among indigenous people. It seeks to connect with spirits that are believed to control the world) and finally decided to return to her parents.
The girl is the elder of the two children of a couple living near Rajajinagar. Her father is a private company employee, while mother a homemaker. A missing person’s complaint was registered with jurisdictional Subramanyanagar police.
“My daughter is missing since she left home on the morning of October 31, 2021. She was depressed over not getting a seat in a good college to pursue fashion designing course, which she was passionate about. She regularly surfs the internet and in recent times, was drawn to shamanism. She had left her mobile phone at home,” her father stated in the complaint.
However, police could trace the girl only till Hulimavu. “We scanned footage from more than 200 CCTV cameras and traced her to a place near Hulimavu on October 31 evening. However, after that her trail turned cold,” said police.
A few days ago, the girl is said to have called her father and told him she was in a private orphanage in Ahmedabad. The father immediately contacted police. Together they travelled to Ahmedabad and brought her back.
‘Told parents to counsel her’
“She was deeply drawn towards shamanism and we have requested her parents to counsel her,” added police.
Describing the case as one of teenage vulnerability, city-based psychiatrist Dr Vijay Harbishettar said the girl came back because she loved her family.
“Leaving home and visiting ashrams and orphanages indicate the person believes that he/she will get peace of mind there. In this case, the girl is a teenager and is vulnerable to thoughts such as shamanism. Such minds act both like an adult and a child at times. They go through different mood swings. These were the main reasons behind her decision to leave home. But her act of calling her father and telling him where she was shows she loves her family and trusts her father,” he said.