Madhya Pradesh village goes for bizarre ritual to appease rain god

His head covered in a piece of white cloth and hands tied, sat a man in a green shirt and blue jeans. At first glance, it appears he is being punished. In reality, he is part of a bizarre-looking ritual playing out in Narsinghpur of Madhya Pradesh.

With insufficient rainfall in the state, locals of Salechowka village have been trying out many seemingly superstitious methods and customs to appease Lord Indra, the god of rains. Reportedly, most residents of this village are literate and well-informed.

As the practice unfolded, local women covered the face of their village headman and tied his hands. "We made him sit in the temple while we recited devotional songs in praise of Lord Indra," Triveni Bai told this correspondent.

Another woman, Usha Bai, said, "We danced and played the drums throughout the village. The ritual is our way of offering prayers to 'Indradev'."

Sources said the villagers strongly believe that Lord Indra is displeased with them and by doing these activities, they will try to make amends for it. "We do this every year, we pray so that our crops are saved," said Bhagwati, another resident. Her neighbour Rajkumari added, "These rituals have dual benefits as they save our crops and ensure a good water supply in the village."

In several parts of the state, locals follow unique traditions to appease the rain god. Among the customs are folk songs to bizarre gay marriages and marrying off frogs.

However, not everybody is taking the appeasement route to reach out to the God. According to recent reports, the residents of a village named Betul began covering the idol of the rain god to punish him for the lack of showers. The villagers apparently had asked their children a keep a stone atop the idol until they received rains.

—Zee Media Newsroom