Belagavi: The drought situation is the major issue across the state now. The monsoon seems to have failed leaving farmers in lurch.
Recently, the frog marriage in Udupi hit headlines. The residents of the temple town had got two frogs married off to ensure good monsoon. Similarly, next to make headlines are the residents of Belagavi who too have done their bit.
Bizarre but true, the locals from MK Hubballi of Belagavi district, have punished a local deity for failed monsoon!
They have kept the idol of Lord Surya Narayana under ‘Jaladigbhandana’. The practice is to keep the idol of the deity in water as a punishment.
According to the local belief, if the deity is kept in the water, rain god Varuna ensures good rainfall. As the town is facing acute shortage of water, locals have kept the idol of the God in water and have locked it inside the sanctum sanctum.
“Even in the past, when we kept the deity in the water, the town had received good rainfall. We are hopeful of the same miracle,” a local said.