After it was alleged to be a reincarnation of Hindu God Shiva, a three-eyed cow born in India has been branded a "divine miracle" and locals have been queuing up to worship it.
The unusual calf was born with four nostrils and an additional eye on its forehead.
Some people of the Rajnandgaon District of India's Chhattisgarh village believe the three-eyed calf is a reincarnation of Viswanatha, a God who is noted for having an eye on his forehead.
According to Sputnik, a large number of people came from nearby villages to worship the cow, believing it to be Shiva's rebirth.
The calf, which was born on January 14, drew large crowds who brought incense sticks, coconuts, and money, as is customary in the area.
Some believe the timing of the calf's birth, which was born just as the Hindu festival of harvesting, Makar Sankranti, started, is no coincidence. Many believed the arrival of the calf to be of religious significance.
Speaking to Indian news agency ANI, villager Neelkumar Verma said: "I have never seen any three-eyed being. Only Lord Shiva had it. It is a divine miracle. An incarnation of the Lord himself."
While the anima's birth has been tied to the Hindu God, a veterinary specialist has expressed his dissatisfaction with the comparison.
Such situations, according to Doctor Kamlesh Chaudhary, should not be deemed miraculous because they occur as a result of the abnormal development of the embryo.