The Thuggee cult was a secret religious society centered in India. Members (sometimes referred to as Thugs) worshiped the Hindu goddess Kali Ma with barbaric human sacrifices. The British, led by Major William Sleeman attempted to eradicate the group in the early 19th century, forcing the Thuggee to go underground. A loyal priest of Kali hid two of five Sankara Stones in a diamond mine in Pankot Province, which was later converted to a secret Kali temple.