Cooch Behar, 16th May: You may have heard about the practice of arranging frog marriages to invoke rain. A similar event recently took place in the Ullarkhewa Ghat Gangabari area of Andaran Fulbari Gram Panchayat-2, under Tufanganj Block-1. The local residents organized a frog wedding in the hopes of pleasing the rain god ‘Indra’ and bringing much-needed rainfall to the area.
In rural regions, it is customary to arrange frog marriages when the monsoon season arrives but fails to deliver sufficient rainfall. In such situations, villagers believe that organizing these unique ceremonies will appease the rain god and result in a downpour. In the case of Ullarkhewa Ghat, the frog wedding took place throughout the night on Monday, with the residents going to great lengths to make all the necessary arrangements.
The wedding festivities included traditional rituals performed by a priest, accompanied by lively music played by a band. Additionally, food was arranged for the occasion. The villagers firmly hold the belief that the union of the frogs will bring rainfall to their parched lands. The women of Laake village were responsible for making all the preparations for the event, demonstrating the collective effort of the community.
Aparna Das, speaking on behalf of the organizers, stated that the villagers worked together to make these arrangements. The plea for rain has become a pressing concern as the lack of precipitation has adversely affected agricultural activities in the region. Consequently, the villagers decided to arrange the frog marriage ceremony as a measure to bring about rainfall.