You’ve heard of the rain dance. You know that people usher in rainfall with intricate rituals to keep their harvest safe (or just for some relief from scorching heat).
What you probably haven’t heard of is frog marriage ceremonies performed with the same aim.
For folks in the village of Bhopal, India, the marital union of two frogs was said to open up the skies.
A local volunteer group dedicated to social issues, Om Shiva Sewa Shakti Mandal, organised the symbolic ceremony.
It’s part of long-standing religious beliefs that marrying off a couple of frogs will please Indra (the Hindu god of rain), which will bring rain.
For a while, the wedding paid off and the group’s wishes came true.
But all good things come to an end and the marriage quickly dissolved after the frogs’ connection was so strong, it brought on too much downpour.
The marriage officiants had to carry out proceedings for a divorce.
Maybe the couple rushed into commitment? Let’s hope there are plenty more frogs in the pond for them.
One member of the group explained to The New Indian Express: ‘The prayers were answered within a few days as the elusive monsoon started ushering its might over Bhopal and adjoining regions.
‘But with rain now turning destructive, another ritual of separating the frog couple before the god was performed on Wednesday with a strong hope of ending the enduring spell of destructive rain.’
The formerly happy couple wed in July and separated (amicably, we hope) this month.
A marriage that lasted only a few months? Very Hollywood.
The Om Shiva Sewa Shakti Mandal group say that the separation should hopefully put a stop to the incessant pouring.
Of course, getting two amphibians in the same space at the same time has its challenges (they’re probably not on speaking terms) so the group had to improvise when enacting the divorce.
During the symbolic separation ceremony held at a Shiva temple, they used two clay frogs which were placed before the Shiva statue.
They were then separated from each other amid chants.
We’ve checked the weather for Bhopal and unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the downpour is set to stop any time soon.
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