The toads were picked up from separate ponds, dressed in bright red clothes

**forestdale** · 06-06-2005, 03:50 PM

Toads marry in bid for rain
6:00 PM June 6

Two giant toads 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 solemnised 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.

The married toads were released into a pond after the ceremony in the village about 365km north of the state capital, Calcutta.

"Our forefathers used to organise marriages of toads to get sufficient rain for cultivation. We hope rain will be coming very soon," said Konica Mandal, one of the organisers of the wedding.

The village has been reeling under a severe heatwave with temperatures touching 44 degrees Celsius, drying up ponds and creating problems for farmers and their crops.

The south-west monsoon hit India's southern coast on Sunday, about four days later than normal, but it will be some time before the rains wind their way to the rest of the country.

A heat wave sweeping India, Bangladesh and Nepal has killed nearly 100 people over the past two weeks.

-Reuters

Source: Reuters

from:

http://dsl.optusnet.com.au/news/stor...al/1385789.inp

**Julia Kimber** · 06-07-2005, 07:38 AM

Well that's different anyway!

By the way Rhonda, you've sent us a couple of your cane toads down here to Perth in with some bananas!! We don't want them, you can have them back!

Julia

**daddys3chicks** · 06-07-2005, 09:32 AM

Hmmm.....

**Darlene** · 06-07-2005, 09:43 AM

Hope it works for them.

Sorry to hear of the loss of life.Wishing them cooler temps and some rain.

On a lighter side~We saved a few from being run over by the lawnmower wonder what that does for us?

**forestdale** · 06-07-2005, 04:11 PM

Julia, I hope those cane toads aren't boy and girl because they can reproduce about 65,000 little toads per year. They are such disgusting things. They are eating the native beas here now.