No tell tale
Farmers have natural indicators to predict rainfall. And researchers of Gujarat Agricultural University in an experiment found that farmers are more often than not proved correct. In an initiative, the university asked 200 farmers in Saurashtra region to predict rainfall pattern from 1990-2003 by using traditional parameters such as occurrence of rainbow, orb around moon and sun, dew etc. The farmers were to observe for 195 days from end-October to mid-April. For example, on Holi -- celebrated usually in March -- farmers observed the wind before and after the lighting of the Holika pyre. The observations were made on eight parametersdirection of the wind for instance. They believed if the wind blew from south-eastern region towards the fire, it would be drought and if it came from the west then they would get good rainfall. And, as it turned out, the university researchers found that seven out of the eight parameters turned true.
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