Drought-hit Assam Village’s Frog Wedding to Appeal to the Rain Gods - Barun Devata
Jharkhand Network
CHIPOHA VILLAGE, ASSAM, INDIA (JUNE 1, 2009) ANI - Fed up with the prolonged dry spell in the region, Indian villagers in northeastern Assam state married off frogs in a unique custom to please the rain god, with hopes of an early monsoon.
Residents of the entire Chipoha Village turned out to witness the unconventional marriage ceremony of the two frogs, caught by the villagers themselves.
The frogs were decked out with fine clothes, and the female frog was even given a necklace by the village women for the marriage, which was conducted by a priest according to traditional Hindu rituals.
The locals believed that the marriage would bring plenty of rainfall to their village, which has been grappling with a prolonged dry spell for past couple of months.
"It's a traditional belief that when a frog marriage is performed, Barun Devata (rain god) is pleased and it rains. Since there has been no rain for the past couple of months we have performed this frog marriage to invoke Barun Devata. I am sure the rain will come very soon," said Deepika Gogoi, a local.
The marriage was a desperate measure by the villagers to get rainfall in the parched region.
"The marriage went off well. Our region is absolutely parched and we need rain. We didn't know what else to do. We hope that now the rains will finally come and people can start cultivation," said Uttam Goswami, priest.
The farmers in Assam are facing major problems due to the protracted dry spell in the region. The lack of water has also affected their crops, mainly paddy.
India's June-September monsoon rains are a major influence on the farm-dependent economy, as two-thirds of Indians live in villages.
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