Residents in and around Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, perform a rain-seeking ritual by feeding donkeys gulab jamun, a practice tied to local folklore. The activity comes amid a rainfall deficit and delayed monsoon conditions in parts of the state. Participants say they pray to Indradev/Indra, the Hindu god of rain, for timely showers and for prosperity for farmers. The Free Press Journal reports residents searching for donkeys in the city and then offering the sweets to them as part of the ritual, along with prayers for early rainfall.
Both outlets also link the event to broader weather conditions. The Times of India notes that many districts in Madhya Pradesh have recorded below-normal precipitation this monsoon season, even as Bhopal has reportedly received above-normal rainfall. The Free Press Journal adds that weather updates from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) indicate a wet spell and heavy to light rainfall in coming days, including a rain alert in multiple districts and expected disruption from July 19.
No outlet reports that the ritual changes rainfall, but it reflects local attempts to respond to rain-related distress.
