Bhekuli Biya (transl. frog marriage), is a traditional practice deeply rooted in Assam, India. Also referred to as "Mandooka Parinaya" and "Banger Biye" in various regions of India,[1] this ritual takes place during the dry summer months with the aim of invoking rain.[2][3]
As per Assamese tradition, their ancestors have a poem that describes how farmers question the clouds, asking why there is no rain. In response, the clouds explain that if the frogs do not croak, there will not be rain. The monsoon marks the frogs' mating season, and when they croak to call their mates, it triggers rainfall. This is how the croaking of frogs is linked to rainfall.[1]
Etymology
editThe word "Bhekuli" is an Assamese word, which means "frog".[4] And the word "Biya" means "marriage". So, Bhekuli Biya literally means "frog marriage".[5]
Celebration
editThe ceremony is usually performed by a priest or elder of the village. The two frogs are caught and cleaned, and then dressed in traditional Assamese wedding clothes. They are then seated on a platform and tied together with a red thread. The priest then performs a puja, or prayer, asking for the rain god's blessings.[6] Vermilion is applied to the female frog's forehead to signify her as the male frog's life partner.[7]
After the puja, the frogs are released into a nearby pond or stream. It is believed that if the frogs stay together, it will be a sign that the rain god has been appeased and that rain will soon follow.[7]
The marriage ceremony was performed as per Assamese customs and rituals. Organizing the marriage of frogs is part of Assamese folk culture.[8] This belief stems from the idea that by marrying two frogs, the rain god, Varun Devta from Hindu mythology, will be appeased and send much-needed rain.[7]
Specific events
editAmid the 2019 Indian floods, a "frog divorce" was carried out in Bhopal, with two clay frogs being symbolically separated. The local group Om Shiva Sewa Shakti Mandal performed the ceremony, stating a hope that the region would be relieved from the destruction due to heavy rain as a result.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b Tanima. "India's Drought Terror And The Curious Case Of Frog Marriages". lifebeyondnumbers.com. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
- ^ Choudhury, Rabin Dev; Singh, Shri Bhagwan (1991). Aspects of History and Culture. Ramanand Vidya Bhawan. p. 60.
- ^ Datta, Bīrendranātha (1999). Folkloric Foragings in India's North-East. Anundoram Borooah Institute of Language, Art, and Culture. p. 32.
- ^ ""Bhuli " in Xobdo dictionary". xobdo.org. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
- ^ "Bhekuli biya or frog weddings". assaminfo.in.
- ^ Dutta, Srishti B. "Locals Resort To Age-Old Tradition Of Frog Wedding To Get Respite From Heatwave In Assam". India Times.
- ^ a b c "Heat's on: Assam villagers hold 'frog wedding' to appease rain god". East Mojo. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
- ^ Webdesk, Time8. "Frogs Married Off In Assam's Sivasagar To Please Rain Gods". Time8. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Jain, Sanya (September 13, 2019). "Weeks After Marriage To Please Rain God, Frogs Divorced To End Downpour". NDTV. Retrieved July 31, 2024.