When the Rain Answers: A Reflection on Belief, Memory, and Nature
On a quiet fieldwork day in April 2022, in a small village called Gulaganji Mane in Kudremukh National Park, Chikkamagaluru, I witnessed something that stayed with me—not as data, but as a feeling. It was Day 2 of our fieldwork. We were conducting a focus group discussion with a tribal community, trying to understand their relationship with forests, livelihoods, and the environment. But what unfolded that day went far beyond structured questions and recorded answers. The villagers spoke about the Kigga fair , one of their most important festivals. They described it not just as a celebration, but as a deeply spiritual interaction with nature. The deity worshipped there is believed to be the lord of rain. Their faith is simple yet profound: after the offerings are made, the rains will follow. The fair had taken place the previous day. And they were waiting. There was no urgency in their waiting, no doubt either—just a quiet certainty. For them, rain was not a random meteorological ...
