In Uttar Pradesh, Sisters Plough Field To Please Rain God For Monsoon

In a battle against severe shortage of rain many farmers have taken to a number of unusual practices to "appease" the rain God. After the marriage of frogs, two daughters of a farmer in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi district have joined their father in ploughing the field to bring down the showers.

For 4 or 5 years, the sisters' village in Mauranipur city has not received proper rainfall. Even though it is cloudy, there is no sign of rain in this part of Uttar Pradesh, making it very difficult for farmers to earn their livelihood.

The two sisters have taken to this hard labour hoping for sufficient rainfall.

"My sister and I have started ploughing the field so that we can please Indra (god of rain) and he can shower his blessings on us and we can have a good harvest," the eldest of the farmer's daughters told news agency ANI.

Last month, two frogs were married in Madhya Pradesh's Chhattarpur in hope for rainfall in drought-hit Bundelkhand. A minister of the state government was also seen attending the bizarre ceremony.

A similar ceremony was also held in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi but instead of real frogs, toy frogs were used in hope for an early monsoon.

Although bizarre and rare, frog weddings are not unheard of in India. In 2009, residents of Jharkhand's drought-hit Chatra district organised a similar wedding for frogs to appease the rain god. The wedding with a difference included a feast for 500 people, invitation cards and even a car for the groom. The female frog was adopted by a local who performed the 'kanyadan' or giving-away ceremony.