Frog wedding held in UP's Gorakhpur to get rains

A wedding ceremony of two frogs was held in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur in the belief it will bring showers in the state that has received less-than-normal rain this monsoon.

Organised by the Hindu Mahasangh, a local outfit, all rituals were followed at the ceremony held at the Kalibari temple in Gorakhpur on Tuesday. People flocked in large numbers to witness the "marriage".

Ramakant Verma of the Hindu Mahasangh said, "The entire area is facing a drought-like situation. Five days of Sawan (a month in the Hindu calendar) month have already passed, but there is no rain."

"Last week, we performed Hawan Pujan... Now we organised the marriage of a pair of frogs. We hope the ritual will work and we will have rain in the area," he said.

The people present there asserted that the ritual will certainly work and they will get respite from the heat.

On July 13, a group of women in the Maharajganj district of the state soaked the local MLA Jaimangal Kanojiya and Nagar Palika chairman Krishna Gopal Jaiswal in a mud tub to please rain god 'Indra'.

Jaiswal said, "Facing a drought-like situation, the women only followed the age-old tradition to please the rain god."