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A rain festival with no rain: the Indian farmers bracing for a ‘super’ El Niño as monsoon arrives late

The Guardian UK Thursday 30 July 2026, 04:00 UTC By Words and photographs by Neelima Vallangi 1 min read
Key Points

Raja is normally a celebration of the start of the monsoon, but in the eastern state of Odisha, the rains came so late the seeds were sown under clear skiesKasturi Gamango and Pramila Sabar cannot contain their giggles as they explain one of the big attractions of the Raja festival, which they attended a few days earlier along with 20 other farmer families in Laxmipur, in Odisha’s Ganjam district. “We do no work for three days during the festival,” they say. “Our husbands cook and clean...

Raja is normally a celebration of the start of the monsoon, but in the eastern state of Odisha, the rains came so late the seeds were sown under clear skies

Kasturi Gamango and Pramila Sabar cannot contain their giggles as they explain one of the big attractions of the Raja festival, which they attended a few days earlier along with 20 other farmer families in Laxmipur, in Odisha’s Ganjam district.

“We do no work for three days during the festival,” they say. “Our husbands cook and clean while we enjoy our free time.”

Continue reading...
Indian (ORG) El Niño (PERSON) Raja (PERSON) Odisha (LOCATION) Gamango (PERSON) Pramila Sabar (PERSON) the Raja festival (LOCATION) Laxmipur (LOCATION) Ganjam (ORG)
Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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