India Uncut

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Tuesday, June 07, 2005

The marriage of toads

Reuters reports:
Two giants toads [sic] were married in a traditional Hindu ceremony in eastern India at the weekend by villagers hoping to propitiate the rain gods and end a dry spell.

Some 400 people cheered and blew conches as women put streaks of vermilion on the female toad's head while a band played music and priests solemnized the marriage to the chanting of Hindu hymns.

The toads were picked up from separate ponds, dressed in bright red clothes and brought to the marriage venue in a decorated palanquin in Khochakandar village in West Bengal state late Sunday.
Good idea to do it just before the monsoons strike. Now it will rain, and everyone will say, "See? We got those toads married to each other, that's why it's raining."

Get some toads married in December and we'll see what happens.

Update: Meanwhile, leopards are procreating madly.

Update 2: And here's a picture of the blissful toads. (Pic link via email from Roshan Revankar.)
amit varma, 11:13 AM| write to me | permalink | homepage

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