MANALI: Looking for a break from the long dry spell in Himachal Pradesh, people in many parts of the hill state have started praying to deities for rain.
Special worships and ceremonies are being conducted in Kullu, Mandi and Lahaul-Spiti districts to appease deities and know the reasons for dry spells. Prayers are being offered in Nag Devta temples as he is considered the god that controls rain.
With almost no or very less rain since March, many places in the state are facing a shortage of drinking water. The water level in some streams has fallen too. Standing crops are drying up as there is insufficient water for irrigation. Fruit-growers are equally worried about the harvest. “People of the valley had recently organised a special puja at Bijli Mahadev, one of the most revered deities of Himachal, to pray for rain. The deity had given a sign of rain. We had rain on the same day, but it stopped after a few minutes. We are now reeling under drought-like conditions. Crops will be completely damaged if there is no rain soon,” a member of the temple committee, Shiv Nath Sharma, said.
