You’ve heard of the rain dance, but the rain tug of war?
With downpours arriving late this year, villagers in central Myanmar’s Magway Division have resorted to traditional tug of war contests as part of a ceremony to trigger the annual monsoon rains.
“Last year, Pakokku [the township where the games are being played] faced severe water shortages until the end of July,” Nyunt Lwin from Pakokku’s Myauklukan village told Eleven Media Group.
“Farming is difficult. All the lakes have dried up. We are getting very tried. Traditionally we hold a tug of war and an offering ceremony for the guardian spirit. It’s also a happy traditional sport and we forget the heatwave temporarily.”
Tug of war contests to summon rain are not limited to Pakokku township. The photo with this article, for instance, was taken in 2014 in Mandalay Region, and videos of the practice have been uploaded to YouTube.
Here’s one from 2010.
Above photo: Ko Pyay
