MP villagers succumb to superstitious practices to receive rain

Owing to the irregular rain patterns and water scarcity in the farms, villagers in Madhya Pradesh have started adopting superstitious tricks to summon rain. A resident of Tanodiya village in Agar district sat in the water holding a Shivling for 24 hours praying for rain. The people of this region believe that through this, Lord Shiva will get pleased and they would receive good rains.The devotee named Manohar Yadav used to hold the Shivling and sometimes offered water to the Lord. As people came to know about the practice, the women of the village gathered at the temple to pray. Yadav has always been religious and participated in religious programmes in the village. He sensed the tension and despair in the environment due to failing rains and volunteered to carry out the ritual after learning about it from village elders.Despite the continuous scientific advancements, such practices are prevalent in many pockets of the country. Like Manohar, residents of Raipuriya village in Jhabua district make young men dress in a groom’s attire and ride a donkey around the village and crematorium. As is synonymous with wedding parties across the country, residents indulge in some singing and dancing. Villagers believe that doing so will please Lord Indra and bring rainfall. There is also a practice where residents don’t cook in their kitchens and instead go to the farm or forest to cook. While there is no scientific explanation behind such practices, people’s faith is compounded by the lack of rain every year. According to the temple's priest Parvat Puri Goswami, he heard about the practices from the elderly villagers. He stated that whenever there is no rain, the Shivalinga is submerged in water for 24 hours and the prayers are performed.Nalkheda resident Yogesh Vyas, a priest, said there is no mention in scriptures about keeping Shivling in water, but the mention of offering water to Lord Shiva has been found in the ‘ocean churning’ episode to quench the fire in Lord Shiva’s throat after he consumed poison. No attempts have been taken by the district administration to curb the prevalence of such practices.