Cloudy Now
I based this illustration on an article I came across about rainfall rituals in India.
As a desperate last attempt to bring rainfall during the harvest season, dozens of women of a village venture out naked during the night dragging a plough, while chanting mantras or folk songs* to invoke Indra, the rain god. Supposedly, this would either appease or embarrass the rain god who in turn would bring rain and ensure a plentiful harvest. This cycle continues for 10-12 days. At the end of it, they would return to the fields crack open the earth while singing. The reports of these rituals go back to 1873-74 during the Gorakhpur Famine. This practice is still relevant in certain villages in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. I couldn't find any additional information beyond this. Do these rituals have a place today in the modern world and should they even?
I am into surrealism and I tried to bring some of the influences of René Magritte's works here.
As a desperate last attempt to bring rainfall during the harvest season, dozens of women of a village venture out naked during the night dragging a plough, while chanting mantras or folk songs* to invoke Indra, the rain god. Supposedly, this would either appease or embarrass the rain god who in turn would bring rain and ensure a plentiful harvest. This cycle continues for 10-12 days. At the end of it, they would return to the fields crack open the earth while singing. The reports of these rituals go back to 1873-74 during the Gorakhpur Famine. This practice is still relevant in certain villages in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. I couldn't find any additional information beyond this. Do these rituals have a place today in the modern world and should they even?
I am into surrealism and I tried to bring some of the influences of René Magritte's works here.
