A Tribal Rain Ceremony Where Men Marry The Clouds Dressed In Sarees

Last Updated:September 19, 2025, 13:34 IST

“Huyyo Huyyo Maleraya, there is no water for the flower garden.” The combination of the bullock and the donkey walking side by side added a curious twist, drawing smiles.

A Procession Without Barriers: All Communities Unite—And Men in Sarees Lead the Way

For months, heavy rainfall has lashed across Karnataka. Reservoirs are brimming, and regions known for sparse showers have been unexpectedly drenched. Yet Hanur, home to the lush Male Mahadeshwara Hills, remains dry.

For two consecutive years, the villages here have waited for rain that never came. The people of Shagya, a small village in Hanur taluk, finally decided to appeal to the skies in their own traditional way.

A Community’s Hopeful Plea

Facing another year of parched fields, villagers organised a special puja to pray for rain. They cooked ragi ambli, a humble porridge made from finger millet and horse gram, and gathered children for a time-honoured ritual.

Plants were tied around the children’s waists, and a pestle was balanced on their heads. A cart was prepared with a bullock on one side and a donkey on the other, and the children were taken from house to house. At each doorstep, residents poured water over them, symbolising the rain everyone longed for.

The ritual soon turned into a vibrant procession. Mahadevaswamy, a farmer from the village, carried a plow on his shoulder, playing the part of a hardworking cultivator. Beside him, another villager, Deepu, dressed as a woman and joined in the rhythmic chant.

“Huyyo Huyyo Maleraya, there is no water for the flower garden." The combination of the bullock and the donkey walking side by side added a curious twist, drawing smiles and blessings from onlookers.

Prayers at the Village Pond

After visiting every household and sharing the ragi ambli and horse gram, the villagers gathered at the pond for the final puja. They offered prayers to the plow, the bullock, and the donkey, then broke an earthen pot of boiled ragi ambli into the water, an act meant to invite the rain gods to fill the pond and the fields.

What made the event especially moving was the spirit of inclusion. People from all communities – Veerashaiva Lingayat, Nayaka, and Adijambava joined hands, erasing caste lines in a collective plea to the skies.

Their colourful procession was more than a ritual; it was a symbol of unity and resilience, a reminder that when nature withholds its gifts, people can still come together in hope and faith.

Waiting for the Skies to Answer

As the villagers returned home, the air carried both the scent of ragi and the quiet sound of anticipation. In Shagya, the wait for rain continues, but their shared prayer has already nourished something equally vital: a sense of community strong enough to weather even the longest dry spell.

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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d...Read More

The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d...

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