Exercise

Rituals for Rain

Muthyalamma Pongallu- offers to the goddess

Muthyalamma

A ritual for rain and good harvest Village Chiguruwada

Nellore District

In many societies there are longlasting rituals to ask for rain

In some cases they are almost the origin of religion itself

This is one example

Procession to the temple.

Women and elderly men walking with baskets with food

on their head to the temple

Women walking around the temple to show their respect to Goddess Muthyalamma

Women organizing their stoves in front of the temple to prepare food

Animals that will be offered to bring the rain

Women cooking the food in front of the temple

Priest

Banana leaves in front of the temple for offering the food

Offering of food at the temple

Questions

Rain rituals are coming in many cultures

Sometimes they also serve other purposes – helping poor or unity for instance

Which rituals do you know of?

Can they be used to create awareness?

A clue

Rain rituals are common. So is the belief that

falling ground water tables are caused by

drought rather than by overuse.

It is important to create the understanding

that increased use of groundwater is the

cause of declining water tables.