Frogs' arranged Marriage

“With no signs of rains, villagers of Padapalli village in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu turned to an age-old custom to invoke the rain Gods. They caught a male and female frog and got them married in a grand manner last Friday. After the marriage the frogs were released in the local tank”—this is an old news report from TOI.

Not only frog to frog marriage, they perform frog to human marriage too. Last year they got a frog married to a girl for rain and the frog had been left in a tank. The girl was seen crying in embarrassment in the picture which was in the TOI. When she comes to age, the frog may turn in to a prince and take her away. If frogs catch cold they would try to find a cure for it.

Marriage is for human beings who live by societal norms, not for animals who live by Nature’s rules. They know what to so when they get mature. I wonder if frogs get excited by marriage. Will the frog couple live together after marriage or they divorce? Monsoon is not the marriage season for humans, but it is for frogs and was marriage season for me too. My wedding was in monsoon, when it was raining pitter patter non-stop. We avoid marriage in monsoon simply because rain will cause inconvenience to all work.

Actually people don’t know when the rainy season is in this subcontinent. Since Chennai is familiar to me and according to my observation Tamil Nadu receives rainfall in autumn months. South-west monsoon is not so effective there. Farmers in every state should understand Nature and cultivate the lands only according to the rainfall the states receive. Even artificial irrigation will not help; the lands will dry up easily in the high temperature. Two term cultivation will not work out in all states. Instead of cursing Nature they should take blessing from Mother Nature. When we do everything artificially such problems arise and it gives frustration.

And there was this news about hiring infants for direct darshan of Lord Venkateshwara in Tirupati, the famous temple in India. The report says there are touts to hire out infants to devotees for Mahadwaram Darshan—meant for couples with children. If you want to have a quick darshan hire a child—a quick darshan for devotees and a quick buck for barkers! What is the meaning of visiting temples? Usually men cannot wear shirts in south Indian temples. But there is an option in one of the temples in Tamil Nadu. If you pay you can enter with the shirt on otherwise you have to remove it. Money can break all the rules. and there is a famous temple in Kerala, where women cannot enter wearing salwar kameez. If women go there without this knowledge they will make them wear a dhoti over salwar kameez. What is the use when salwar kameez is still there under the dhoti? Men should wear dhoti over the pants and remove shirts. Here, in Mumbai youngsters go to the temples wearing jeans and bermudas. Everything is going on in the name of religion and for money. Human beings are strange indeed. It is better we respect animals.

I believe in God but I don’t believe in meaningless rituals. I don’t do anything else than visiting a temple. I don’t even celebrate festivals. I don’t fast because I cannot stay long empty stomach. Ann hai purna Brahma, I believe. But my day starts with a prayer. I bow to the Mother Earth and Gods as I get up in the morning. I felt God’s presence in several occasions. I am God fearing; also fear devils, especially those walking around. When I was a school girl I would visit the nearest temple almost all days in the morning and I hadn’t written a single exam without visiting that temple in my village. That must be the reason if I never felt education a burden.

Rakhi’s Swayamvar was worse than frog’s wedding. I couldn’t make out whether it is in reel or real at first. Actually Swayamvar will be over when bride put on garland on bridegroom’s neck. Here it is swayamvar for engagement. The real swayamvar is unpredictable. No matter how long it lasts the couple seems ideal in every aspect.

Modern people go back to the 12the century from 21st and try to bring back age-old customs and perform making it modern. When old and modern customs mix the result is neutral.