Frogs 'marry' to bring rain to Bangladesh

BANGLADESH: More than 250 people in northern Bangladesh have attended a wedding ceremony between two frogs as part of a ritual to bring rain to the parched region, a newspaper said Friday.

The "bride" and "groom" came from two neighbouring villages 110 kilometres (68 miles) north of the capital Dhaka, according to the Bengali paper Jugantor. Villagers organised the wedding ceremony because the region was suffering a water shortage as it waited for monsoon rains to arrive, according to school teacher Noor Mohammad Kalon, who was a guest on behalf of the "groom."

"More than 250 men, women and children came to the wedding. We all danced and sang," the teacher, 42, told AFP by telephone, adding that the guests were served a traditional wedding feast of rice, lentils, fish, beef and sweets.

"The bride and groom were in special wedding dress. We blessed them in the ceremony and released them in a nearby pond afterwards.

"Last night there was rain. I believe it was because of the wedding." Dhaka,Monday, AFP