The Tamilnadu government has decided to seek divine intervention for rains, with special prayers and certain ragas in temples administered by the State Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) Department.
In a circular, the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department said it has been decided to conduct special yagnas and prayers at the temples under it in line with their customs and practices and asked its officials to comply with the directions.
As per the circular, ragas like Amirthavarshini, Meghavarshini, Kedaram, Anandabhairavi and Rupakalyani should be played with musical instruments like nadaswaram, violins, veenas and flutes at the temples. Prayers should be offered to divine bull Nandi, the vehicle of Lord Shiva, by placing the idol in water, the circular issued by HR and CE Commissioner Phanindra Reddy said.
“Seedhala Kumbal, Rudhraabhishekam, Maha Vishnu puja, Varuna Gayathri, Manthra Parayanam should be performed. Special abhishekam of milk, curd and tender coconut should be conducted for Mariamman. All Regional Assistant Commissioners should send the list to the Commissioner’s office on the dates that the poojas are to be held, in the respective districts, by 2 May,” the circular added.
The southwest monsoon – occurring between June and September – brings much of the annual rainfall to India, it is the northeast monsoon (October – December) that meets the requirements of Tamilnadu. In the last two years, northeast monsoon rainfall had been lower than the normal quantum and several parts of the State, including this metropolis, are facing severe water scarcity.
Major lakes in the suburbs that cater to the drinking water needs of the city are having poor storage. At this juncture, it is a good move to seek divine intervention rather than getting involved in needless arguments.