Telangana to perform Varuna Yagam on Aug 10 amid monsoon rainfall deficit

The Telangana government will conduct a Varuna Yagam on Aug. 10 at the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir, seeking bountiful rainfall amid a deficient monsoon season, officials said on Friday.

The ritual, dedicated to Lord Varuna, the Hindu deity associated with rain, will be performed under the guidance of priests from the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple at Yadagirigutta, following directions from Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.

Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the chief minister would attend the purnahuti, or concluding ceremony, scheduled for 3:24 p.m. on Aug. 10.

The government said the ritual would be conducted on a grand scale with the participation of a large number of priests.

Officials said the Varuna Yagam was being organised to pray for adequate rainfall as Telangana continues to face a monsoon deficit attributed to the impact of the El Niño weather pattern.