Galin (Qebleh Doa) Ceremony – Bushehr

This ritual is performed during a drought. The ritual is in such a way that the inhabitants of a village select a person and call him 'Galin'. Galin is then changes into Shepherds clothing along with a beard made of sheep wool and a straw hat with two horns. A bell is also hung round his neck. Then along with the others of this village, Galin is taken from house to house and from each house he receives some wheat, barley or a few eggs. Ultimately Galin divides that which he has acquired into segments and in one of these segments adds a small piece of sand (apart from the eyes of others). Then these segments are distributed and the one who receive the part inclusive of sand, escapes the scene making the others run behind him in order to beat him. Finally he finds refuge in one of the houses and the household plead with the others not to hunt him for 3-7 days and that within this duration the rains would come. 'Galin' is allotted more two or three days if the rain fail to come, but ultimately if the rains don not come Galin is entailed for a beating. People believe that by performing this ritual the almighty feels pity on them and the rain begins.