Weeks After Marriage To Please Rain God, Frogs Divorced To End Downpour

Two frogs that were 'married' in Madhya Pradesh to appease the rain god have now been 'divorced' as monsoon continues to wreak havoc in the state. The frogs were married in July in the belief that their union would appease the rain god Indra and bring rainfall to the dry land. On Wednesday, two months after the wedding in Bhopal, they were divorced symbolically to end the spell of rain that has caused destruction and flooding in Madhya Pradesh.

Members of the Om Shiv Seva Shakti Mandal of Indrapuri area divorced the frogs on Wednesday evening.

"We got two clay frogs made and married them in order to bring rains to the state. But the rains are incessant now, so we separated them to stop the downpour," Suresh Agarwal of the mandal said.

A proper "separation ceremony" was conducted at the Turant Mahadev temple, and the two clay frogs were then released into a vessel filled with water amid chanting of mantras.

Heavy rains in Madhya Pradesh have caused widespread destruction. Over 9,000 houses have been damaged and 213 have collapsed. On Thursday, the Met Department issued fresh red and orange alerts of very heavy and heavy rains for next 24 hours.

Frog weddings are not unheard of in the country, as many believe that the marriage helps usher in rain. Two frogs in Udupi were also married this year in a ritual called the "Mandooka Parinaya" to appease rain gods.