Performing homam, japam and poojas as part of Vedic rituals to invoke the rain god is in vogue in olden days, but performing marriage of frogs is seen of late.
However, farmers of Uppaluru village in Muddanur mandal in Kadapa district, performed the marriage of two donkeys with all the traditional rituals in Sri Rama temple in the village. Washermen of the village arranged a male and female donkey. The male was decorated with garlands and a dhoti and the female with a saree, silver anklets and garlands. Vermillion was applied on the foreheads of both the animals.
Uppalur village elders, who have a strong belief that performing marriage of donkeys would result in good rainfall, announced the date, venue and timing of the marriage. Former sarpanch Venkata Reddy and village elders Bala Venkataiah, Lakshmi Narasamma and Amrutha recall that Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy, freedom-fighter who revolted against the Britishers and was publicly hanged in Koilkuntla in 1846, too performed the marriage of donkeys to invoke the rain god.
All the traditional marriage formalities were observed, like in the case of humans and it was not a simple marriage with changing of garlands. The villagers formed two groups and took “bride and bridegroom” in a procession to the Rama temple, while youth danced merrily to drumbeats, bursted crackers and elders exchanged new clothes.
A priest Sarma recited the Vedic mantras for the marriage, which included garlanding of the donkeys, tying the “mangalasutram”, applying ‘jeelakarra and bellam’ on the head, pouring ‘thalambralu’ with colourful beads.
A large number of villagers attended and distributed sweets amongst themselves after the marriage. The villagers recalled that they had performed marriage of donkeys a decade ago and received good rainfall that year.
