Donkeys plough fields in cemetery to invoke rain in central India
by ShravyaIn central India’s Madhya Pradesh, farmers and villagers, distressed by drought, are turning to traditional rituals and prayers to invoke rain by using donkeys to plough their fields.
The incident took place at the Balaji temple in the Malwa area of Mandsaur district on July 18.
Visuals showed donkeys being led to the field with locals assisting the priests. The donkeys were then harnessed to plough the field, while onlookers observed the ceremony.
According to reports, in adherence to ancient customs, donkeys were used to plough fields in the cemetery, where urad (black gram) and salt were sown in hopes of attracting rain.
On Thursday evening, at the city’s cemetery, donkeys were tied to ploughs and used to sow seeds. Additionally, some participants rode the donkeys semi-nude. Such rituals are believed to bring good rainfall to the region. In some areas, there is also a tradition of conducting frog weddings to invoke rain.
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