VISAKHAPATNAM: From frog weddings in villages to special pujas for Lord Varuna, Andhra Pradesh is witnessing a revival of centuries-old rain-invoking rituals as an unusually weak southwest monsoon leaves much of the State waiting for relief.
In villages across Anantapur, Godavari region, Vizianagaram, Alluri Sitarama Raju district and several other parts of the State, communities are turning to traditions handed down through generations, praying for divine intervention as agricultural fields remain parched and sowing is delayed.
Their anxiety is reflected in the numbers. Andhra Pradesh has recorded a 54.33% rainfall deficit between June 1 and July 28, with every district reporting either Deficient or Scanty rainfall.
As the dry spell stretches into the peak Kharif season, its impact is becoming increasingly visible in delayed cultivation, shrinking reservoir storage and growing uncertainty among farmers.
In Kalyandurgam mandal of Anantapur district, villagers recently organised a ceremonial wedding for two frogs before taking them in a procession through the village.
A few kilometres away, at Kurlapalli village, residents solemnised the marriage of two donkeys following traditional Hindu customs and paraded them through the village while pouring water over them.
In the Agency areas of ASR district, tribals gathered at local streams and rain-fed water bodies to perform Gangamma Puja, praying for abundant rainfall. Temples across the State have also been conducting Varuna Yagam and special pujas dedicated to Lord Varuna, seeking timely showers that could rescue the agricultural season.
“These customs are not merely about asking for rain,” tribals from Dayatri village in ASR district said, adding, “When the rains fail, the whole village comes together. Performing Gangamma Puja reminds us that we face the hardship together, and continue to hope for better days.
Farmers in Anakapalle district echoed a similar sentiment after organising a traditional frog wedding. “Our elders believed that frogs announce the arrival of the monsoon with their croaking. Whether people believe it or not, these rituals keep alive our faith that the rains will come. When crops are drying and there is nothing else we can do, hope itself becomes important,” said K Govind Rao from Anakapalli. That hope is now being tested by one of the weakest southwest monsoons the State has witnessed in recent years.
Between June 1 and July 28, both Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema received substantially below-normal rainfall. Seven districts - West Godavari (-73.17%), Annamayya (-71.17%), Visakhapatnam (-65.50%), Konaseema (-64.50%), East Godavari (-64.42%), Prakasam (-63.87%) and Chittoor (-61.66%)-have slipped into the Scanty category, while the remaining districts continue to report Deficient rainfall.
Major droughts in 1982, 1987, 2002, 2009 and 2015 aligned with El Niño. The consequences are already unfolding across the agricultural landscape.
By July 25, only 16.35 lakh hectares had been brought under Kharif cultivation against the normal seasonal area of 30.84 lakh hectares. Twelve districts have covered less than half of their normal cultivated area, with Bapatla recording just 5% of its normal acreage, followed by Annamayya (9%), Prakasam (15%) and Markapuram (15%). Crops such as groundnut, sunflower, sorghum and horse gram continue to lag because of inadequate soil moisture, prompting the government to identify 168 high-risk mandals and 1,357 Rythu Seva Kendras for close monitoring.