COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Air Force said on Sunday it had flown Buddhist monks who prayed and sprinkled holy water over drought-hit areas in an attempt to encourage rain.

Sri Lanka’s meteorology department has warned that both severe drought and heavy rains are likely to hit Sri Lanka during the rest of the year as the largely agricultural nation faces its “worst” El Nino climate phenomenon.

Three saffron-robed monks chanted prayers during Saturday evening’s flight invoking the gods to end the drought, while airmen sprinkled holy water from five-litre (1.3-gallon) plastic bottles. An air force official said the monks were flown aboard a Y-12 fixed-wing aircraft.

“As the nation faces the hardships of dry weather, the… aircraft takes to the skies in a symbolic act of compassion,” the air force said in a social media post.

While the monks prayed for rain over drought-hit areas, the meteorology department has also warned of heavy downpours over other parts of the South Asian nation of 22 million people.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2026