Chikkaballapura: In an unusual ritual aimed at invoking rain gods, villagers of Kotipalli in Sidlaghatta taluk, about 65km from Bengaluru, performed a symbolic marriage of two young girls, hoping to end the prolonged dry spell in the region.A 10-year-old girl was dressed as groom and a six-year-old girl as bride for the ceremony, which was conducted with several traditional wedding rituals. A purohit performed the rituals, including the traditional ‘darshan’ of the Arundhati star to the ‘couple’.Women from the village sang songs associated with different stages of a wedding, creating an atmosphere similar to a conventional marriage. After the ceremony, villagers performed aarti and blessed the children. Some also gave them cash gifts.Villagers said such rituals had been performed in the area during earlier drought-like situations, and claimed that rains followed the ceremonies.Pillamma, 60, a resident, said she had witnessed similar rituals during previous dry spells. “Villagers used to perform different rituals, including symbolic marriages involving children, in the hope of bringing rain,” she said.Pushpa, another resident, said the programme continued for five days, during which Gowri pooja was performed each day. Later, clay idols of ‘maleraya’, representing the rain god Varuna, were taken out in a procession and immersed.Such rain-invoking practices are not new to the region. Symbolic marriages of two boys were reportedly performed at Hirekattigenahalli in Chintamani taluk and Mogalakuppe in Chikkaballapura taluk a couple of years ago.Traditional practices, including symbolic marriages of donkeys and frogs, are also observed in parts of rural Karnataka during prolonged dry spells.
