In a village in eastern district of Jaunpur, people recently organised the marriage of a male and a female frog thinking that it would please the rain gods and they would bless the district with rain. The marriage was solemnised in the presence of a large number of people from the nearby villages amidst the chanting of vedic mantras.
“It is our belief that the marriage will please Indra (the god of rain) and he will bless the region with rain,” said Kunwar Dubey, the priest, under whose supervision the wedding was solemnised.
In some districts, the womenfolk ploughed the fields believing that it would result in widespread rain, reports said.
Recently in Moradabad in western UP, half naked young men offered prayers under the scorching Sun on the main thoroughfare of the city.
In Varanasi, young boys painted themselves with mud on the banks of the Ganga. However, what remains to be seen is whether the unique ways of offering prayers will succeed in accomplishing its objectives.
Published 08 July 2010, 17:06 IST