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'''Bhekuli Biya''', also known as frog marriage, is a traditional practice deeply rooted in Assam, India. Also referred to as "Mandooka Parinaya" and "Banger Biye" in various regions of India,<ref name="life" /> this ritual takes place during the dry summer months with the aim of invoking rain.<ref>{{cite book |last=Choudhury |first=Rabin Dev |last2=Singh |first2=Shri Bhagwan |title=Aspects of History and Culture |publisher=Ramanand Vidya Bhawan|language=English |page=60 |isbn=}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Datta |first=Bīrendranātha |title=Folkloric Foragings in India's North-East |publisher=Anundoram Borooah Institute of Language, Art, and Culture |language=English |page=32}}</ref>

As per Assamese tradition, their ancestors have a poem that describes how farmers question the clouds, asking why there is no rain. In response, the clouds explain that if the frogs do not croak, there won't be rain. The monsoon marks the frogs' mating season, and when they croak to call their mates, it triggers rainfall. This is how the croaking of frogs is linked to rainfall.<ref name=life>{{cite web |url=https://lifebeyondnumbers.com/frog-marriages-drought-rain/|title=India’s Drought Terror And The Curious Case Of Frog Marriages |last=Tanima |website= lifebeyondnumbers.com|publisher=|access-date=September 8, 2023|quote=}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The word "Bhekuli" is an Assamese word, which means "frog".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.xobdo.org/dic/%E0%A6%AD%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%80|title= "Bhekuli" in Xobdo dictionary|last= |first= |website=xobdo.org |publisher=|access-date=September 8, 2023|quote=}}</ref> And the word "Biya" means "marriage". So, Bhekuli Biya literally means "frog marriage".<ref name=etymology>{{cite web |url=http://www.assaminfo.com/culture/76/bhekuli-biya-or-frog-weddings.htm|title=Bhekuli biya or frog weddings |last= |first= |website=assaminfo.in |publisher=|access-date=|quote=}}</ref>

==Celebration==
The ceremony is usually performed by a priest or elder of the village. The two frogs are caught and cleaned, and then dressed in traditional Assamese wedding clothes. They are then seated on a platform and tied together with a red thread. The priest then performs a puja, or prayer, asking for the rain god's blessings.<ref name=tradition>{{cite web |url=https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/locals-resort-to-frog-wedding-to-get-respite-from-heatwave-in-assam-605269.html|title= Locals Resort To Age-Old Tradition Of Frog Wedding To Get Respite From Heatwave In Assam|last=Dutta |first=Srishti B |website= |publisher=[[India Times]]|access-date=|quote=}}</ref> Vermilion is applied to the female frog's forehead to signify her as the male frog's life partner.<ref name="mojo" />

After the puja, the frogs are released into a nearby pond or stream. It is believed that if the frogs stay together, it will be a sign that the rain god has been appeased and that rain will soon follow.<ref name="mojo" />

The marriage ceremony was performed as per Assamese customs and rituals. Organizing the marriage of frogs is part of Assamese folk culture.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.time8.in/frogs-married-off-in-assams-sivasagar-to-please-rain-gods/|title= Frogs Married Off In Assam’s Sivasagar To Please Rain Gods|last=Webdesk |first=Time8 |website= |publisher=Time8|access-date=September 8, 2023|quote=}}</ref> This belief stems from the idea that by marrying two frogs, the rain god, Varun Devta from Hindu mythology, will be appeased and send much-needed rain.<ref name=mojo>{{cite web |url=https://www.eastmojo.com/news/2019/08/28/heats-on-assam-villagers-hold-frog-wedding-to-appease-rain-god/|title=Heat’s on: Assam villagers hold ‘frog wedding’ to appease rain god |last= |first= |website= |publisher=East Mojo|access-date=September 8, 2023|quote=}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Assam]]
[[Category:Assamese culture]]

Bhekuli Biya - Revision history

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