The weather agencies have predicted that the temperature will rise in Karnataka resulting in heatwaves and scarcity of rain in the state. The heatwave outlook from March to May, issued by the India Meteorological Department ( IMD) based on the Multi-Model Ensemble Forecasting System, says that the state will witness above-normal heatwaves for more days this season. Suffering from the scarcity of rain, the people of the Mandya district of Karnataka have been performing various rituals and special poojas to appease the rain god. Following an old ritual of worshipping the rain god, the residents of Maddur town in Mandya district purified an ancient statue of Iraraya ( rain god) by pouring 101 pots of water and offering a special pooja. There is a belief among the townpeople that if you worship the Iraraya statue with devotion and earnestness, rain is sure to come.
As per the procession, a man named Umesh carried the statue of the rain god and marched through the streets of Maddur. He visited the houses on the lane for the women to worship the statue through sandalwood sticks and lit aarti with camphor. It was followed by pouring a pot of water on the statue as Umesh bent on his knees. After performing puja in the village, Iraraya was dissolved in Maddurammas Lake. The prasad of the pooja was distributed among the residents of the town.
It is not the first time that such a ritual has taken place in Karnataka. To please the rain god, the residents of Karnataka are often spotted performing such rituals from time to time. Yaluvahalli village of Kolar district in Karnataka too believes in this procession. “In the past when there was drought, when people offered prayers to the Iraraya statue, there were rains”, says Munisomappa, a senior citizen of the village as quoted in Deccan Herald.
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