Monsoon wedding of frogs ended as MP gets too much of monsoon

A couple of months after they were wedded, two frog idols were 'divorced' in Bhopal earlier this week in hope that it would reverse the 'effect' of their union, the ceaseless rain.

As per a long-standing superstition, frogs' 'marriage' appeases the rain gods and brings showers to parched areas.

Members of Om Shiv Shakti Mandal, a local group from Indrapuri area, had two clay frogs married with a ceremony in July as the state awaited rains.

"We got two clay frogs made and married them in order to bring rains to the state. But the rains are incessant now, so we separated them to stop the downpour," Suresh Agarwal of the mandal told PTI.

Madhya Pradesh has been witnessing heavy rains over the past few days, leading to several rivers flowing above the danger mark and low-lying areas getting inundated.

A proper "separation ceremony" was conducted at the Turant Mahadev temple here, and the two clay frogs were then released into a vessel filled with water amid chanting of mantras.

The rainfall in the state so far has been 31 per cent excess of the annual average. Bhopal has received 81 per cent excess rain, an official of the India Meteorological Department said.