Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

Prayers offered to appease rain god

VIJAYAWADA: Worried over the delay in monsoon, people of different faiths offered special prayers to propitiate rain god here on Thursday.

While the four-day Varuna Japam and Varuna Sukta Parayana began on Indrakeeladri, the abode of goddess Kanakadurga, as part of the rituals being organised by the Endowments Department in all temples, Muslim men congregated on the Krishna river bed to offer special prayers. About 150 Muslim women led by former Mayor Mallika Begum offered prayers at Hazrath Ghalib Shaheed Dargah at Bhavanipuram.

Officials of Sri Durga Malleswara Swamivarla Devasthanam said that the Varuna Japam and Varuna Sukta Parayana would continue for four days, and culminate into Sahasra Ghata Kalasabhishekam on the fifth day.

Priests and Vedic scholars would bring water from the Krishna and offer abhishekam to presiding deity of Mallikarjuna Swami temple. Arrangements were being made for the mammoth abhishekham wherein the Sivalinga would be completely immersed in water.

“We pray that the dry spell ends and rains bring happiness and prosperity for people,” the priests said, and hoped that the japam, parayana and abhishekham would propitiate the rain god and the State would be blessed with copious rains. Temple Executive Officer T. Chandrakumar, Aagama advisor M. Venkateswara Yajulu and others were present.

The Muslim congregation on the river bed and in the Dargah recited verses from the Quran and sought “pardon for the sins committed and protection for all life forms” of the universe. They also called for world peace and an end to the crisis afflicting the mankind.

“We offered special prayers to the Almighty for rains and to end the scourge of drought in the State,” said Syed Atiqur Rehman, vice-president of Shehari Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadis, which organised the prayers. Similar prayers were organised in 2002 seeking divine benediction and help to tide over the water crisis, and the god blessed with huge rains by the evening, he recalled.

Imam of Markaz Masjid Mutiur Rehman led the participants, and president Syed Ahmed Mohammadi and vice-president Syed Atiqur Rehman of Shehari Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadis and others were present.

After the prayers in the Dargah, Ms. Begum said, “I sincerely hope that within the next few days we will see a very dramatic end to the dry spell and there would be constant rains.”

Mayor M.V. Ratna Bindu, former Mayor Tadi Sakuntala, former Deputy Mayor Anne Prasanna, corporators Afreen Sultana, Chilaka Salomi, Veeramachineni Lalitha and others too joined Ms. Begum and others.

By the end of the day, clouds gathered and the sky was overcast in the city and the surrounding regions that experienced mild to scanty precipitation.

The phenomenon raised the hopes among the people that the drought could finally be coming to an end.

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