Representational picture
(TOI)
Photos and movies of individuals conducting frog marriages to “appease rain gods” flood social media yearly on the slightest trace of an impending rain deficit. But should you assume it is only a one-off case of rain-related superstition, assume once more!
Today, we dwell in a world the place science and expertise have helped us decipher just a few of the deepest mysteries of the pure world. But quite a few social myths round seasons, climate, and nature proceed to thrive in some elements of our numerous nation. As we enter the second half of the monsoon, let’s take a more in-depth take a look at some comparatively common myths round rainfall in our nation and assess the attainable reasoning behind them.
Myth 1: Wedding animals can affect rain behaviour
Let’s get this out of the way in which first. Every 12 months, the monsoon information cycle sees frogs, donkeys and different domesticated animals being reluctantly traumatised in holy matrimony by farmers and farm employees, normally at occasions of rainfall shortage.

Frogs mate throughout wet season
(TOI/BCCL-Mangaluru)
While frogs, like different amphibians, work together with the rain as a result of they like a moist and darkish setting (frogs mate throughout wet seasons), there is no such thing as a scientific or logical proof to counsel that their marriage can sprout rain from our skies, to state the apparent. Such practices can usually flip into animal rights violations as they contain pressured seize and a protracted record of rituals.
Myth 2: Don’t eat seafood, curd, and sure different meals throughout monsoon
You could have heard many individuals echo the seafood a part of this assertion should you hail from the south or southeast Asia. This cannot be labeled as a delusion because it has backing in science, due to which many well being consultants additionally advocate the identical.

Eating fish throughout monsoon season can lead to adversarial well being dangers
(R. Parthibhan/IANS)
The monsoon month gives preferrred situations for the unfold of many pathogens within the water. Some of those have the potential of infecting fishes, which might switch onto people as soon as consumed. Additionally, since many fish species spawn throughout this season, consumption at such a essential stage of their lifespan can adversely hurt their pure ecologies, in addition to lead to abdomen infections from the fish eggs. However, should you preserve good hygiene and cook dinner your fish correctly, you’ll be able to decrease the well being dangers.
The consumption of curd and even ice cream, alternatively, is totally positive if you’re being cautious in regards to the drastic temperature gradient. In truth, curd is among the many beneficial meals due to its pure probiotic properties. Just be sure all the pieces is completely cleaned earlier than you chow down.
Myth 3: The air is more energizing throughout the monsoon season
While it’s true that the monsoon in India is mostly related to cleaner air, the showers aren’t the primary purpose for this phenomenon. Studies carried out in lots of elements of the world confirmed that rains solely helped cut back the quantity of small particles (PM 1.0-2.5) within the air by lower than 10%.

Rains contribute negligibly to air cleaning throughout monsoon
(C Suresh Kumar/TOI, BCCL, Chennai )
For a big cleaning impact, we would wish at the least heavy to violent, extraordinarily heavy rains, which nonetheless solely take away giant (PM2.5) particles from the air by solely about 30% and has a negligible impact on small particles.
In truth, our monsoons are comparatively cleaner solely as a result of gradual wind speeds and extreme air pollution from the October-December pageant season clogs up the post-monsoon and winter air. For Indian cities, it is a case of all crimson flags showing innocent when your outlook stays rose-tinted.
Myth 4: Other cultural and spiritual rituals to convey forth rain
India is dwelling to many numerous cultures. As such, our agrarian nation has a number of weird rituals that purpose to appease the rain gods and domesticate below the perfect situations.
While a few of these are comparatively innocent, such because the Varuna Yajna, the place monks immerse themselves into barrels of water for hours to please Lord Varuna, some stay questionable. For instance, amongst distant tribes in Uttar Pradesh, a convention entails sending bare minor ladies to beg households for provisions, believing it might assist rainfall within the area.
These practices are rooted in superstition reasonably than any logical reasoning and might create harmful circumstances for his or her practitioners in some cases. While there is no such thing as a proof backing these traditions, just a few innocent habits can assist address anxiousness in tough occasions, even when they do not yield desired outcomes. Hence, there is likely to be some benefit to these practices in any case.
And sure, you’ll be able to go forward and eat your meals out of your pots and pans if you need to. Your lazy life-style won’t affect the climate of your marriage ceremony day; that is my private assure!
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