7 Bizarre Rituals That Have Been Followed By Indians For Years To Bring Rain
A primarily agragrian society, India has a wide range of beliefs that are said to help farmers get over a spate of drought. While some might even begin to make sense, most of them are just too bizarre
Summer is at hand and India doesn't seem to be prepared to cope with the drought that 2016 might bring with it. The only hope that we have might be a handful of beliefs that have been passed on by generations to cope with drought-like conditions and appease the rain gods.
India is facing the worst water crisis in years
There have been several instances of violence across the country over water and desperate attempts have been made, like the ones listed below, to bring rains and peace to the land.
1. Animal marriages
Daily News
A popular custom in Assam and some parts of Maharashtra, a male and female frog are wed with full Hindu rituals to appease the Gods. The newly weds are also raised to the skies for the Gods to have mercy on them and make it rain for their successful mating. Frog marriages are also an annual festival in Assam to usher in a prosperous new year (April 15). In Karnataka, donkeys are wed in the sight of men and gods to bring rain. While the croaking of the frogs does signify oncoming rains, the reason behind the marriage of donkeys is unclear.
2. Varuna yajna
maailmankuvalehti.fi
The Lord of Water in Hindu mythology is Varuna. Several priests come together for the Varuna Yajna or ritual for Lord Varuna by immersing themselves in water and chanting the name of the Lord 1,000 times. This is believed to appease the Lord who hears the calls of his devotees and makes it rain as respite. In several places, the priests also conduct a full ritual around a sacred fire while immersed in barrels of water.
3. Mud-caked children
spokesman.com
In Nari Bari near Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh, it is common to see young boys lying on their backs caked in mud, nearly naked, with folded hands, asking the Gods to have mercy and make it rain.
4. Mass exile to the forest
srisrilara.blogspot.com
Residents of certain villages in Telangana believe that if they leave their homes and spend the day in the forest as part of an exile, Vanavasam, the Gods will heed to their penance and make it rain. The people of Talivela village, including the wife of a senior minister, participated in one such ritual to help bring the rain.
5. Worship of Shiva
India Weekly
In Jharkhand, where an elder was once beheaded in a crass ritual by a group, men lie on their backs outside a Shiva Temple holding a wooden staff in their right hand to bring rain.
6. Bonalu Festival
Andrew Sullivan
This peculiar festival of Hyderabad is for celebrating the monsoon and thanking the Gods for it. The festival sees men and women dressed in their best and some men even painted, to stage a performance as they parade the city's streets and proceed to pour water on the Goddess' feet to appease her.
7. Ploughing the fields naked
Arindam Mukherjee
In extreme cases, women of the village go to plough the fields at night in Uttar Pradesh. Naked. It is believed that the Gods would fancy the women and make it rain!
Given the grim situation of India this year, it remains to be seen how many of the above will be brought into force as an early monsoon will serve as the only relief from what is going to be a deeply troubling summer.
