Districts rise, pray to rain gods

BANGALORE: Even as the Karnataka government’s call for special prayers to seek divine intervention for rains evoked lukewarm response in Bangalore — the seat of power — it was spontaneous in the districts on Thursday.
The call for prayers was given by rural water supply minister K.B. Koliwad last week, after rains failed. Chief minister S.M. Krishna, who endorsed Koliwad’s appeal, has been invoking the rain God wherever he is visiting.Koliwad is away on tour, but had said he would participate in the prayers wherever he is.
Muzrai minister Suma Vasanth, whose department is in charge of 42,000 temples in the state, attended the Varuna pooja at Talacauvery, birth place of the Cauvery in Madikeri district. Priests from Madikeri and Sringeri performed gana homa, ekadasha rudrabhisheka, parjanya japa, parjanya pooja, rishyashringa japa, Cauvery ashtothara, panchamrithabhisheka, Varuna pooja, Sapthashathi parayana and other pujas at Talacauvery and also at Bhagamandala temples.
In Mysore, DC Kumar Naik attended the puja at the temple atop Chamundi Hills and at Nanjundeshwara temple in Nanjangud. Special pujas were also offered at temples on the Mysore Palace premises. Belgaum, where Malaprabha has dried up, the Bharatiya Krishik Sangh had organised prayers at Mahaganapati temple near Kittur Chennamma circle. DC B.S. Palaksha, who was supposed to attend the pujas, was away on an official tour to Gokak and Ghataprabha.
In Hubli, prayers are being held for the past three days. This included a 24-hour nonstop mantra chanting programme, organised by the Digambar Jain Samaj. In Mangalore, prayers were held at the Sharavu Mahaganapathi temple, Sri Mangaladevi Temple and others.