Lucknow, Jan 12 (IANS) A childless man sliced off his tongue and offered it to the deity in an Uttar Pradesh temple to be “blessed with a son”, police said Tuesday.
Mukesh Kumar, 28, a resident of Banthari village in Banda district, some 200 km from Lucknow, cut off his tongue late Monday evening with a razor blade at the Mahesh temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, situated in the same village, officials added.

Kumar, who was rushed to a private hospital by other devotees, is out of danger but the doctors said he might have major speech problems later, senior inspector R.P. Mishra told reporters in Banda.

Kumar was childless after more than four years of marriage, he said.

“An ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, an angry Kumar left his house following a tiff with his wife for not being able to conceive. Kumar went to the temple, where he offered his tongue to the deity,” said Mishra.