HUBLI, July 23: Ramappa Mallappa Yelavatti sits perched on a massive tamarind tree, brooding at the overcast sky and willing it to rain. He has not alighted from this tree in Dundur village of Gadag taluk, about 60 kms from here, for the past 18 days, waiting for his prayers to be heard.This spectacle has inspired much awe among the villagers, who were first irritated with Yelavatti, then amused and now almost believe that he is going to make a difference, and they will get rains at least this monsoon. Yelavatti remains undisturbed by the audience he is gathering as he concentrates on completing the task given by the `Mother'.A veteran at rain-making efforts, Yelavatti(55), an athlete, started from his native village, Annigeri, around 25 kms away from Dundur. He ran backwards till Kurthkoti (about 10 kms) and then ran all the way till he reached Dundur. He shinned up the tree and tied himself firmly to a branch.Some of the villagers saw this and, thinking, that he was trying to commit suicide, told him to go away. But he stayed on, sitting in absolute silence for three days high among the branches. He ate only the leaves of the tree. ``The leaves stay for an hour or two and then I vomit it. I did not drink water at all. Only in the past few days I am able to manage a few sips of tea. For more than a week, there was no need to go to the toilet at all. Even now, I go only once.'' he said.He prays continuously for rain. His two wives and eight children came to visit him and he sent them away to Annigeri. Now people gather from the nearby villages like Shyagoti, Kontikoppa, Annigeri, Kurthkoti, etc, which are also dry. The people of Dundur give them food (gruel made from jowar).Dyamanagouda Patil said that around 200 people gather everyday to see Yelagatti. Yelagatti, who owns about three acres of land, has been performing mass marriages for the poor of his village. He was even a Municipal Councillor before he found religion. ``I am sure that the `Mother' will send rain. Otherwise, I am prepared to die on this tree. If it rains, I will simply get down and continue my athletic training.'' he said.Incidentally, Gadag has not received any rains, even though the sky is overcast from June onwards. The rains are always late in this area, delaying the Kharif crop.
