LUCKNOW: With monsoon playing truant in entire eastern Uttar Pradesh, leaving the region parched and people sweating, the women of Maharajganj, a district adjoining Gorakhpur, performed a unique ritual by giving mud bath to the local BJP MLA and Municipal Council chief with mud to woo Indra Dev (Rain God) on Tuesday night.
As per the local sources, the women approached BJP MLA Jai Mangal Kanaujiya and Municipal Council chairman Krishna Gopal Jaiswal urging them to be a part of the ritual by letting the women folk to soak them in mud to which both Kanuajiya and Jaiswal agreed.
Interestingly, it is believed in this region that if the elite and respected persons of the area were bathed in mud, the Rain God gets pleased and blesses the people with rainfall. After drenching the duo with mud, the women sang folk songs to please Indra Dev (Rain God).
The people of eastern UP are worried about the paddy crop which is getting badly hit due to deficient rainfall in the region.
“People are suffering in sultry weather, crops are getting dried. This is a ritual based on an old belief so we decided to be a part of it if it helps in any way,” said the BJP MLA.
The monsoon, which had entered UP from Sonbhadra on June 29, became weak leading to around 65 per cent less rainfall in state. So far, UP has received only 35.08 per cent of the total expected rainfall in July. Around 48 districts of the state are facing drought like situation with 40 per cent less rainfall.
Around 20 districts have received 40-60 per cent rainfall impacting the sowing of Kharif crops and paddy plantation in the state, said a senior official of the Agriculture department. So far only 28 per cent sowing of Kharif crop has taken place.
As per the weathermen, UP has so far received only 69.8 mm of rainfall against 194.7 mm expected normally in this period.
As per the officials of Agriculture department, approximately 30 per cent paddy saplings have dried due to deficient rains in most of the districts. Farmers are facing challenge in sowing maize and pulses due to paucity of water.