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Rain ritual in Akola
by Ravi Patil

     Akola (Maharashtra): The delay in onset of monsoon is giving sleepless nights to farmers in Akola district of Maharashtra, as their plants are dying due to water scarcity. Children of the region are seeking divine help by performing traditional rituals to end the continuing dry spell. As per the ritual, children tie neem tree leaves around their waist and beg for rain. Semi-clad children tying frogs with tree leaves also hopped around the entire village, chanting couplet as "Dhondi, Dhondi pani de (God give us rain). Farmers said that this traditional ritual was meant to please the rain Gods. Akola falls under Vidarbha region of Maharshtra, where hundreds of farmers committed suicide due to debt-burden and poverty in recent years. Now delay in monsoon rains have added to their woes. Meanwhile, the weather department said that monsoon might cover Maharashtra by first week of July.
-June 23, 2009