Farmers give superstitions a go-by, till land on a Tuesday

Sowing has been completed on only 7,925 hectares in the district

It’s desperate times and farmers in these parts are forced to give up their long-held superstitions as rain plays truant this season.

“We cannot forego this rare chance today when it is raining just because it is Tuesday, considered inauspicious to begin the sowing process.

We have begun the work in right earnest as it rained yesterday night,” said farmer couple Vijayakumar and Saraswathamma. They have planted ragi seeds and are opting for cowpea and tur dal as mixed crops.

The fields are ready for the sowing process with the water content in the soil. “We may not get rain at all, if we keep waiting for an auspicious day,” said the couple and they are not the only ones to overrule beliefs as farmers across the taluk are going by the dictum: Make hay while the sun shines.

”The ragi crop had sprouted at this time last year. But this year, we are far behind as we have only begun the sowing process,” Vijayakumar and Saraswathamma said. We are praying for rains once again after four to five days as that will be ideal for the development of the crops.

Giving another example, they said there was rain on June 18, and the next day was Amavasya falling on a Tuesday. June 20 was the first day of the ‘Ashada maasa’ (the Hindu month of Ashada).

Even in such circumstances considered inauspicious, farmers had gone ahead and sown the seeds for the ashgourd crop. They have sown tur dal seeds in between.

They say, this time, they are going ahead with the agriculture activities, irrespective of whether the starting day is considered good or bad.

They have reposed faith in the almighty. Sowing has been completed only on 7,925 hectares in the district till July 10.

There has been good rainfall only in Kolar taluk in the last 10 months, with an average of 42 mm, but only in some parts of the taluk. The rainfall on Monday was 33.6 mm.