Nuapada: Who doesn’t want to sleep in the comfort of a bed? It turns out, an entire village.
The tribals of Kotgaon village near Patal Ganga, 105 km away from the Nuapada district headquarters, have been sleeping on the floor for generations, in deference to the village deity.
The villagers, mostly Ganda Majhi and Bhunjia Chinda tribals, believe that doing otherwise would anger the village deity, make them ill and bring them misfortune.
For the same reason they don’t use beds, the villagers also don’t use chairs for seating. Everyone sits on the floor, the way they sleep.
People of all age groups, young or old, follow this practice. There are no exceptions.
“The village deity, Maa Dwaraseni, was born from the soil. As a sign of respect, we do not use beds. It’s a tradition, handed down through generations,” said Sarabani Chinda, a villager.
“The village deity took birth from the soil. If we use beds, it will be an insult to her. There is a belief that if we disrespect Maa Dwaraseni, she will punish us,” said Meghanada Chinda, another villager.
In this village of about 900 people, shoes are also not used on verandahs of houses.
Besides Maa Dwaraseni, the villagers worship Gurubudha and Khatatalibabu. It is believed that Gurubudha is her husband and Khatatalibabu her son. She has seven sisters, the tribals believe. Five yatras are observed in a year for Devi Dwaraseni.
“The villagers believe that they were born for Maa Dwaraseni,” said Dr Sushant Kumar Bisi, a researcher.
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