The rain handler at the Mandalika MotoGP is controversial. However, the rain handler is part of the uniqueness of Indonesian culture. Apparently, in several other countries there are also rituals or traditions that are similar to rain charmers.
Their traditions are no less unique than Indonesian rain handlers. There are natural hills with unique abilities to traditional rocket launch habits. We compiled from various sources, Monday (21/3/2022) the following are the findings of archaeologists and teams of scientists in several countries related to rain charmers:
Rain control hills in South Africa
A hill that is claimed to be a 'site of rain control', is where shamans asked the gods to open the sky. This hill in South Africa has been around for centuries.
Located near Botswana and Zimbabwe, the site called Ratho Kroonkop (RKK) sits on a hill 300 meters high, and contains two naturally formed rock tanks. The results of research on Ratho Kroonkop were published in the Azania Journal in 2013.
These tanks are hollows in rock that form when water falls on the surface of the underlying sandstone. When scientists excavated one of these, they found more than 30,000 animal specimens, including the remains of rhinos, zebras, and even giraffes.
"What makes RKK special is that every piece of faunal material found in RKK can in some way be associated with rain control," said researcher Simone Brunton, a doctoral candidate at the University of Cape Town, quoted from LiveScience.
The shaman or religious leader, will climb to the top of the RKK through a natural tunnel (gap) in the rock. When they reach the top of the hill, they will light a fire to burn the animal remains as part of their rain ritual.
The people who perform this ritual come from the San, an indigenous group in southern Africa who live as hunter-gatherers.
"They are San rain controllers employed by the farmers to control the rain," explains Brunton.
Farmers depend on their heads to ensure this rain arrangement runs smoothly to support their farming activities. The hill of the rain handler is sacred by the local community, because only the shamans are allowed to go there.
Bamboo rocket festival in Thailand and Laos
Not only unique hills in South Africa, another custom related to rain charmers is making bamboo rockets in Southeast Asia. The people of Thailand and Laos have a tradition of holding a rocket festival before the arrival of the rainy season. As the name implies, the highlight of this celebration is the launch of a large rocket made of bamboo.
This ritual is believed to bring rain. It is said that the rocket that was launched into the sky became a tool to persuade the God of Rain, Phaya Taen, to rain down on time.