People in Karnataka, a state reeling under a severe drought are now pinning their hopes on divine intervention to bring in the showers. While the state’s people are marrying off frogs and conducting other bizarre rituals, MLAs-including ministers-aren’t very far behind. Several of them are knocking on Gods’ doors.

Kodagu district-in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Sunday offered special prayers at Talacauvery. Talacauvery is the source of the river Kaveri and is an important water source for both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It is also worshipped as a holy site.

The Minister and his team first offered prayers at the Bhagandeshwara temple and then visited Talacauvery where a ‘Mahapooje’ and a ‘Kumkumarchane’ was conducted.

Speaking to the media, the minister called the river the lifeline of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and also said that the river had the power to tackle drought in the state.

But this is the not the first instance where the state government has taken to prayers and poojas to mitigate the effects of the drought that has affected several parts of 27 districts out of a total of 30.

Mangaluru South MLA JR Lobo led the people of the coastal city in multi-faith prayers. The city faces a serious shortage of drinking water, even though no part of Dakshina Kannada district has been declared drought-affected.

Prayers were held at the Mangala Devi Temple, a Chapel at Bishop Aloysius Paul D’souza house at the Kodialbail and the Kudroli Jumma Masjid.

In another instance, where people looked at the almighty for assistance with the lack of rainfall, hundreds of Muslims gathered at Nehru Maidan in Mangaluru on Sunday, May 1 to offer prayers asking for rains. The group had gathered under the banner of South Karnataka Salafi Movement and importance of water conservation was stressed upon during the sermon. DID MINISTERS ATTEND?

Regardless of ministers and MLAs offering poojas in their respective constituencies, the Congress led- government appears to have a learned a lesson from 2012 when the BJP government got into trouble for deciding to spend Rs 71 crore to perform special prayers and yagnas to please the rain gods. That year too, the state had witnessed a serious drought.

Then, a circular issued by the department of religious endowments, had directed the 34,000 Hindu temples under its jurisdiction to perform Varuna Homa and Jala Abhisheka. The circular also stated that a grant between Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 would be given to each temple by the government for conducting the special yagnas.

Image Courtesy: newskarnataka.com