That sucks! Town in north India holds 'leech therapy' on Persian New Year

During Navroz, also known as Persian New Year today (March 21), villagers in north India took the opportunity to try some blood-sucking 'leech therapy'.

The town of Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir state held celebrations to mark Navroz, and people present also chose to try the leech therapy as a homeopathic medical treatment, believed to be more effective on the day of Navroz.

March 21 is celebrated as Navroz in many parts of the world to mark the first days of spring, similarly, Kashmir also celebrates Navroz for the same reason, and also plant tree saplings to mark the day.

The European medicinal leech, Hirudo Medicinalis, is one of the several species of leeches used for medicinal therapy.

Leeches are effective at increasing blood circulation and breaking up blood clots. It can also be used to treat circulatory disorders and cardiovascular disease, although their use in conventional medicine is only under special circumstances.