Exercise Rituals for Rain Muthyalamma Pongallu - offers to the goddess Muthyalamma

A ritual for rain and good harvest Village Chiguruwada Nellore District In many societies there are longlasting rituals to ask for rain In some cases they are almost the origin of religion itself This is one example

Procession to the temple.

Women and elderly men walking with baskets with food on their head to the temple

Women walking around the temple to show their respect to Goddess Muthyalamma

Women organizing their stoves in front of the temple to prepare food

Animals that will be offered to bring the rain

Women cooking the food in front of the temple

Priest Banana leaves in front of the temple for offering the food

Offering of food at the temple

Questions Rain rituals are coming in many cultures Sometimes they also serve other purposes – helping poor or unity for instance Which rituals do you know of? Can they be used to create awareness?

A clue Rain rituals are common. So is the belief that falling ground water tables are caused by drought rather than by overuse. It is important to create the understanding that increased use of groundwater is the cause of declining water tables.