Watch: In Karnataka’s Udupi, residents organised a wedding of frogs to appeal for rain
Varna wed Varsha. The name symbolism left nothing to chance.
In a bid to get rains, Udupi Citizens' Forum arranged for a wedding of two frogs (Mandooka Parinaya) on Saturday. As per the ritual, a male (named Varuna) and a female frog (named Varsha) were caught from two villages and were married off @BangaloreMirror pic.twitter.com/wuTlkZ304l
— Sridhar Vivan, Bangalore Mirror (@sridharvMIRROR) June 8, 2019
In a strange but not uncommon custom, two frogs were married to each other in a traditional Hindu ceremony in Karnataka’s Udupi on June 8.
The frogs, who were given the names of Varuna and Varsha before the ceremony, were married according following the tradition of “mandooka parinaya” (“marriage of frogs”). The ceremony was conducted by members of the Udupi Citizen Forum, who seemed to believe that this would bring rain.
The frogs, unaware of their fate, were caught from different villages and dressed in custom-made clothes for the ceremony.
#WATCH Frogs married in Karnataka's Udupi to please the rain gods. The frogs were dressed in custom made outfits for the ceremony. pic.twitter.com/s9I4rLT0Tu
— ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2019
The couple was to be sent on a honeymoon to Mannapalla near Manipal, according to ANI.
This is not the first time that frogs have been married to appease the rain gods. The custom is particularly popular in South and North East India. In 2016, a wedding of frogs was organised in Assam with a similar intention.