The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Going the extra mile for rain

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 30, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Going the extra mile for rain

By Our Staff Reporter

SRISAILAM, AUG. 29. Residents of a nondescript village in Aspari mandal of Kurnool district have undertaken a marathon walk to Srisailam to fetch water from the Krishna to appease the rain god.

The contingent, comprising some 120 women and 280 men from Mulagundam village, arrived here on Sunday after five days trekking.

Muslims too join

Another team proceeded on foot to Gangavaram in Nandavaram mandal to fetch Tungabhadra water. The ritual of appeasing gods in all temples and also a prayer in the mosque will take place on Saturday after the two contingents reach the village with "the holy water'' from the two rivers. Interestingly, members of the Muslim community have also volunteered to join the mission.

Hope turns to despair

The villagers were jubilant when early rain helped them sow cotton, groundnut, tomato and other rain-fed crops. However, jubilation soon turned into gloom as the crops started withering due to moisture stress caused by the prolonged dry spell. Villagers under the leadership of the former sarpanch, Mallikarjuna Reddy, resolved to take up the exercise to appease the rain god.

Non-stop `bhajans'

Every family in the village was asked to spare one person for the mission while others in the village have undertaken non-stop `bhajans' for seven days until the teams return to the village with the holy water. Pitchers filled with holy water would not be kept on the ground until they reach the village. Even during nights, the pitchers would be hung from tree branches or temple beams. Mallikarjuna Reddy expressed the hope that there would copious rain once the `deeksha' was complete.

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Andhra Pradesh