Pictures of two priests sitting inside vessels filled with water while another priest performed a ritual in front of a fire was shared on social media. The special ritual was conducted at the Someshwara temple in Halasuru in Bengaluru to appease the 'rain god' as per a directive of the Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (commonly known as the Muzrai Department).
However, the visual, in which an old and young priest sitting side by side and looking at mobile phones has become a topic of discussion on social media. Users were baffled by the sight of priests using their phones during a ritual and many of them quipped about the 'hi-tech' ritual being conducted.
Pujaris connecting to iCloud https://t.co/Vfw77k0NGV
ankit upadhyay (@sunny_shine1991) June 7, 2019
Are those two pandit checking weather app already?!!
— Axit Darji (@IMaxit97) June 7, 2019
Much like yagna done to tackle air pollution...
— Jyothi جیوتھی (@MrsNair_1112) June 7, 2019
Are they whatsapping Indra dev for monsoon? What's the phones for https://t.co/uh42jxo914
— Confusedicius (@MauveMemory) June 7, 2019
However, an official at the temple told TNM, "I was there at the temple on that day. They were looking at the japa on their phones and reading the text. This is the parjanya japa or parjanya homa to invoke rain."
The Karnataka government had issued a circular stating that special rituals will be conducted in temples across the state to pray for rains after a lack of pre-monsoon rainfall left the state reeling in drought.
Temples in the state were also allowed to take Rs 10,001 from the donation boxes towards the ceremony, stating that similar orders had been issued to tackle similar crises in the past.
Similar rituals were also held in Sringeri, Mandya, Chamarajanagara, and Mysuru. “As a precautionary measure, the government is organising puja. We prayed in the wee hours after taking blessings from the pontiff of Sringeri mutt. I have faith that there will be good rain thanks to the blessings of Lord Sri Rishya Shringeshwara," Power Minister DK Shivakumar told The New Indian Express in Sringeri.
Over 100 out of 175 taluks in the state have been declared drought hit this year. Even the state's coastal districts Udupi and Dakshina Kannada, which receives perennial rainfall, has reported a scarcity of water. The situation is similarly adverse in the state's northern districts which have been parched by a lack of rainfall.