Amid the threat of drought in Karnataka, people are resorting to different beliefs and performing special worships to pray for rain. In the surrounding districts of Bengaluru, there have been incidents of conducting marriages of minor boys to invoke rain Gods.
This tradition of marrying minor boys is mainly found in Bengaluru Rural, Chikkaballapur, and Kolar districts. Villagers in Hirekattigehalli and Mogalakuppe performed these ceremonies, where the entire population of the villages gathered to participate. Class five male students were chosen to dress as bride and groom, and all the rituals, including tying knots with Mangalasutra, were performed. The people invited rain gods to bless them and performed aarti, while also gifting money to the boys.
The incidents were reported on Thursday and Wednesday, coinciding with the surrounding districts receiving showers for the past three days. Farmers, who were worried about their crops getting destroyed due to a failed monsoon, now have hope that they could at least get a staple ragi crop.
