JOIN US The Karnataka government will ask 32,000 muzrai temples in the state to conduct special pooja to appease rain god, Muzrai Minister Manohar Tashildar said on Wednesday. The government’s decision comes in the wake of the state staring at its worst drought in the last four decades.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Tashildar said official orders to conduct the special poojas would be issued soon. However, he did not disclose as to how much funds would be released for the special pooja.
Tahsildar, who also holds the Excise portfolio, said the sale of beer has gone up, but it had nothing to do with drought. “People in drought hit regions do not drink beer,” he added.
In the year 2012, the BJP government too issued a similar order, and had come under strong criticism. The then Muzrai minister Kota Srinivas Poojary had announced that each temple was sanctioned Rs 5,000 for performing the special pooja to appease the rain god.