BENGALURU: With hardly 45 days left for the Southwest monsoon to end, temples, masjids and churches in Karnataka have decided to hold special prayers. Kolar’s Kurudumale Ganapathi Temple has already started, with a special prayer to be held on Varamahalakshmi festival on Friday. “Kolar and Chikkaballapur region is heavily dependent on rain for crops.
Special prayers will be held during the Varamahalakshmi festival. All devotees will be asked to spread the message and come for the special puja,” said KS Vishwanath Deekshit, head priest, Kurudumale Ganapathi temple, Kolar.
Masjids and churches will offer mass prayers. Moulana Maqsood Rashadi said ‘namaz-e-istisqa’, a special prayer for rain, will be offered during Friday prayers, and 12,000 masjids in the state will hold sermons on this. “Rain is very essential. Farmers are in distress and drinking water is scarce. Community members who attend the Friday sermon will offer special prayers for rain,” said Rashadi.
Fr Martin Kumar, parish priest at St Mary’s Basilica, Bengaluru, said community members have been told that rain is a “gift of God” and drought a result of mistakes of humans. People will seek true repentance and pray during Sunday Mass. “If god is happy, he will send his blessing through rain,” said Fr Kumar.