TEHRAN – Throughout Iran, traditional rainmaking rituals are held in different forms based on the culture and religious beliefs of the locals.

North Khorasan province suffers from droughts and lacks water, so rainmaking is one of the major rituals held during spring and autumn there.

This tradition is still alive in the province, in which a group of people cooks Ash (a traditional slow-cooked, thick soup made with chickpeas, beans, noodles, and fresh herbs) or Halim, with special preparations and ceremonies, and shares it with poor residents or their families.

The ritual is customary when rainfall decreases, and it is performed by people who are engaged in agriculture, and those who are not engaged in agriculture carry out the ritual to enhance celebrations or to accompany gatherings.

Chomcheh Galin, Chomcheh Khatun, Baran Li, Kuseh Kuseh, and Kuseh Galin are different forms of the ritual, which are held in various parts of the province.

Chomcheh Galin is one of the popular forms, which is even held in other Iranian provinces.

In times of drought, children cover big wooden spoons with dolls’ dresses and call them Chomcheh Galin, which is considered a rain doll. While singing songs and wishing for rain, they go to the houses in their town or village to collect the necessary items for cooking Ash.

When Ash is ready, it is given to all the people, who gather together to pray for rain.

Local travel insiders believe that traveling in North Khorasan is gaining momentum by degrees, creating lucrative opportunities for the tourism industry.

According to Lonely Planet, most foreign tourists pass straight through North Khorasan in transit between Mashhad and Gorgan, but if you have time to explore, it’s worth diverting south from the capital, Bojnurd, towards Esfarayen, famed for its wrestling tournaments, the remarkable citadel of Belqays and the partly preserved stepped village of Roein some 20km north.

ABU/AM