Jaipur: The tribal people played their traditional musical instruments, drums were played, and men and women danced.
These were the residents of Banswara, a district on the border of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, who were celebrating the wedding of a male and a female frog in their temple.
The mythical marriage of the frogs was being performed by the people, in accordance with a tribal ritual.
The mock wedding of a male and a female frog is performed in the temple to please the rain deity.
Banswara, the tribe-dominated district where the perennial river Mahi flows is experiencing a drought and has recorded lower-than-average rains this year — even at the peak of the monsoon season.
The local population has been disturbed by the low rainfall, which will affect crop irrigation and fishing stocks in the Mahi River.
To start the frog ceremony, two croaking frogs were placed into a basket to prevent them from jumping away. New clothes were tied onto the frogs' bodies and the priest performed a ritual as people danced and played musical instruments.
The priest solemnised the marriage to the chanting of hymns from the Hindu scriptures. He even applied vermilion to the female frog's forehead.
"The marriage of the frogs was performed to please the rain deity and now we expect good rain" said resident Mavji Damor.
Damor and others prayed that after the ceremony the heavens would open and bless the community with ample rainfall.
The organiser of the frog marriage and a former minister, Bhawani Joshi said that according to the local tradition, if frogs were wedded, then the lord of the rains — Indra Dev — will be pleased and monsoon would come.
"As per our Hindu tradition, the wedding of frogs signifies that during rainy season frogs come out and welcome Indra," he said.
The wedding is performed so that frogs croak and welcome Indra Dev as well as the monsoon showers," Joshi said.
