Water Again

I'd meant to post this last week -- it's from the Indian Express of February 6. Every year during the Thaipoosam Festival at the Kapaleeswarar Temple here in Chennai, a special float is built, and an image of Shiva boats around the temple tank (artificial pond). This year, for the first time ever, the tank was dry, and there was other water available to fill the tank temporarily (which was occasionally done in the past). So a pavilion for the god was built on the dry tank bed. A temple official said, "We do not want to take the idol into the dried up tank. But, we are doing so in the hope that this act would help bring rains."

You can see the big rectangular tank, with a small permanent 'island' in the centre, and the temple tower rising in the background:

The grounded Thiruvizha float at the Kapaleeswarar Temple tank
- Express photo

And the summer hasn't even really started yet.