Bhopal has a new Surdas

Bhopal, June 11 (ANI): In a unique ritual, priests are offering prayers non-stop for 26 hours on a floating boat to please the rain gods in Bhopal.

Bhopal, referred as the City of Lakes, has been facing acute water crisis this year while almost all the lakes are drying-up.

Despite shortage of water, the priests and select devotees took a boat to the centre of the lake to perform the rituals seeking divine intervention.

According to a legend, Surdas the famous blind poet who lived during the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar once recited Ramayana (Hindu epic) on a boat afloat in Chitrakoota region for rains following which there was a heavy downpour.

Following the example of Surdas, a priest in the city mooted the idea of praying to God on a floating boat.

"I thought of doing this for the welfare of the people so that the God in response to our prayers would bless us with a good downpour. Earlier, the lakes in Bhopal had never dried up to this extent. There is no water left. The people are a worried lot due to scarcity of water," said Narendra Dixit, a priest.

People on the boat are hopeful that their prayers will be answered and God will shower his blessings in the form of good rainfall.

"We are praying to God for a good rainfall so that the people get adequate water. For this, we are reciting Ramcharitmanas," said Anil Agarwal, a devotee.

Monsoon in India is the main source of water and crucial for agriculture.he monsoon weather phenomenon usually covers the entire country by mid-July to indicate the overall trends of India's GDP. By R.C Sahu (ANI)