Women's nude dances fail to appease rain gods

By Sutapa Mukerjee
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE


SITALGANJ, India — With farmlands parched and dying, 80-year-old Maha Devi and many other women in northern India are resorting to dancing naked in their fields in a ritual to call on the gods for rain and to keep their husbands happy.

Each night, Mrs. Devi leads a group of 40 women from Sitalganj, a drought-ravaged village in Uttar Pradesh state, to their fields to perform their ancient ritual while their husbands remain at home.
The women sing and dance. When dawn breaks, they put on their clothes and plow the dusty earth.
But so far their prayers have gone unanswered and many areas of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state and known as the nation's "food bowl," are facing their worst drought in 12 years.
"There will be no crops this year and all of us will starve," says a despondent Mrs. Devi, now fully clothed and back at her village, looking up at the unrelenting sky.
"It is the third day of our performing the plow ritual and yet the rains have been missing."
Despite Mrs. Devi's pessimism, many Indians still seem confident their pleas to the rain gods will eventually be answered, while they keep trying a range of ceremonies.
"It is up to us how we proceed in pleasing Lord Indra [the Hindu god of rains] so that he may bestow upon us his blessings in the form of showers," another resident of Sitalganj, 43 miles from Lucknow, the state capital, said.
In Aligarh district, 220 miles from Lucknow, women have been performing a similar ritual, taking off their clothes and plowing the fields naked.
In many other villages, clothed children have been calling for rain while chanting special prayers.
Politicians, both Hindu and Muslim, have also been chipping in with various religious ceremonies to invoke rain.
Rajendra Pathak, an expert on cultural practices in India, said the rituals being undertaken by the villagers were as much about distracting themselves from their hardship as actually trying to find a solution.
"The villagers believe that such rituals do bring rain," Mr. Pathak said. "But the seasonal festivals and rituals are actually aimed at diverting attention from the problems of life and are practiced to derive happiness even during hardship."
He said women working and dancing naked also served to keep their husbands happy.
"When the rains fail, the farmers either drown their sorrows in alcohol, or give vent to their frustration by beating up their wives, or flee to other states in search of jobs," Mr. Pathak said.
"That is why the women perform these rituals — to prevent the men from getting depressed."
Local authorities have declared 17 of the 70 districts in Uttar Pradesh drought-affected, and opposition politicians claim the situation is much worse.
.
. http://www.washingtontimes.com/world...7-15728861.htm



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Show Forgiveness, speak for Justice and avoid the Ignorant.

Hahahaha feeble minds...
Im sorry, I know I should respect others religious and cultural views... but come on...
ROTFLMAO...
I would hide under the bed!

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Mu Hu Hahahahahaha!
"Quote the Mu,"NeverMu!"
Yeh Duniya Doh Rangi Ajab Iski Baatein
Agar Pyar Maango toh Hasrat Millegi
Chaman Zindagi ke Hazaaron Killeinge
Magar Eik Dil ki Kali Nah Kiley Gi

80 year old woman dancing nude......thats the stuff of nightmares!

Hmmm... It is rather ridiculous but the notion behind it is to be one with nature in its purest form. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Regardless, its not really a matter to laugh about as it is to be sad about. So many misguided souls.

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Jitna Diya Sarkar Nay Mujko, Itni Meri Auqat Nahi, Yeh Saab Tumhara Karam Hai Aqa, Mujh Mein Aisi Koi Baat Nahin.


It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow.

maniac m afraid deez nite marez are cumin tru n as fo da misguided souls...... dey SURE ARE misguided http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/rolleyes.gif http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/disgust.gif

[This message has been edited by Paxtani Mentality (edited July 27, 2002).]

Paxtani, y r u talkin lik diz ?

I know I shouldn't be saying that but what
they did in Gujrat was totally aweful, brutal
and inhuman.
I've seen some videos in which women (old and
young) were crying and giving "buduwas".
All I know is that any thing from a sorrow
heart goes straight to the 7th sky.



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A wise man once told me.
Dammit boy, if you ever watch an Indian film.
I'm gonna kick your ass.

May be Lord Indra's gay??? http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/confused.gif

nude females is only gonna make matters worse... http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/pukey.gif

why don't the dudes shake there bits 'n' pieces? http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/blush.gif

feckin Indos... http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/hehe.gif

Originally posted by paki-angel:
feckin Indos... http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/hehe.gif

Paki Angel: You should try that sometime maybe the whirling motion of the dancing would remove that dumbfounded look from your face.

chaltahai
keep your nude and lap dancing in India.


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Ganji Tind Qasiyan Di
Sari Masti Naiyaan Di.

Closed for mod review.

All you holier-than thous should leave these people alone. How cocksure you all are that you are righteous and pious while these people are misguided. You don't KNOW that for sure. They are as confident in their beliefs as you are in yours.

What these people are doing could very well come from divine inspiration. The article states the social benefits that come from these acts.

As long as we are bragging about how righteous our own religions are, mine teaches me not to be judgemental.