Hopes for rain in Dinajpur lead to marriage of frogs

When man hopes for rain, frogs have their day.

A frog couple became “man and wife” in Dinajpur when villagers organised an elaborate wedding to appease the god of rain on Saturday.

In keeping with the traditions of his ancestors, Dinajpur ‘s Birol Upazila resident Mahesh Chandra Roy left no stone unturned in organizing a big fat wedding in adherence to full Hindu rituals.

Every aspect of the wedding reminded one of a normal Hindu wedding in all its elaborateness.

The only bizarre presence at the wedding was the ones who mattered the most—the couple. This was no human marriage, but the marriage of two frogs!

The chief matchmaker of the wedding, Mahesh Chandra Roy, said that the marriage was in keeping with the practice of his ancestors to get frogs married in the hope of rain.

Their match, made in heaven or not, was celebrated with all the usual joviality and more in this remote Dinajpur village in expectations of a drought-free year.

The wedding on Saturday turned out to be a big bash, big enough to dwarf any human wedding in the elaborateness of rituals performed and festive gaiety on show.

Some of the villagers represented the bride’s family while others represented the groom’s side at the wedding.

After the rituals, where vows were exchanged, gifts were showered on the couple by the villagers.

Octogenarian Tenia Barman said the marriage of the frogs was a mode of protest by villagers against the god of rain.

However the spectacle was to human beings, for the frogs it definitely was a wedding to remember.