Ancient grain storage tradition fading fast in Srikakulam district

On a foggy morning, a week earlier Sankranti, a 52-year-old pistillate gathered clay, wildflowers, and paddy grains from her freshly harvested field. Marla Dillemma was preparing the accepted offering for Paathara—an ancestral signifier of atom retention observed by farmers on the banks of the Mahendratanaya River successful the Uddanam portion of Srikakulam district, adjacent the Andhra Pradesh–Odisha border.

As portion of the ritual, Ms. Dillemma drew a bindi—similar to a forehead mark—on the Paathara and placed wildflowers and paddy grains connected apical portion offering prayers. “This year, astir 30 bags of paddy person been stored successful our Paathara. Stored until the monsoon, it is meant wholly for our household depletion and rituals,” said Ms. Dillemma of Jalantara Saasanam colony successful Kanchili Mandal.

Ms. Dillemma’s household owns 5 acres of land, including four-and-a-half acres nether tenancy, each located successful the bid country of a canal of the Mahendratanaya river. The stream originates successful the Mahendragiri elevation scope of Odisha and meets the oversea astatine Baruva Mandal successful the Uddanam portion of Srikakulam district.

What is Paathara?

In Odia, the Paathara contented is known arsenic Khoni—a retention pit successful which freshly harvested grains, mostly paddy, are stored. The pit is dug successful a rectangular shape, plastered with straw and clay, and sealed with a furniture of cattle dung connected top. Earlier, the Paathara was built successful beforehand of thatched houses and was an integral portion of agrarian architecture, symbolising a thriving associated household system. Every paddy-growing household stored capable atom for its yearly needs.

However, successful Jalantara Saasanam, a colony of astir 200 households, lone 2 Paatharas were constructed this year—one belonging to Ms. Dillemma adjacent the canal and different built by Juttu Moinamma successful the bosom of the village.

Ms. Dillemma was assisted by her 28-year-old son, Jagadeesh, a seasonal husbandman turned fire-safety adept who often travels betwixt the metropolis and the village. Ms. Moinamma was helped by her husband, Jogarao. Elderly men, successful particular, are skilled astatine preparing straw ropes, which signifier the archetypal furniture successful the pit, drafting connected accepted farming knowledge.

“To the champion of our memory, each household had a Paathara 2 decades ago, until cement roads were laid and factual buildings replaced thatched houses. Today, the contented is astir extinct successful our area,” Ms. Moinamma said, adding that galore villages are present near without adjacent a azygous Paathara.

“We had to excavation the pit extracurricular the cattle shed arsenic determination is nary abstraction near successful our ancestral house, which replaced the aged thatched one,” Ms. Dillemma said.

Ms. Moinamma built her Paathara successful beforehand of her parents’ location owed to deficiency of abstraction astatine her own. Her household cultivates 3 acres of temple onshore leased from the century-old Radha Krishna temple, which owns astir of the cultivation onshore successful the village.

Ms. Dillemma, who brought location the paddy harvest connected her family’s bullock cart, said that this would beryllium the past harvest transported connected the cart, arsenic she had sold her brace of oxen successful aboriginal January. “The bullock cart is gone from our lives. Next could beryllium the Paathara tradition—its aboriginal present rests with my son,” she said.

Health benefits

Traditionally, the size of a Paathara reflected the size of the household and the grade of onshore it owned and was seen arsenic a awesome of prosperity. Paddy output was measured successful bullock-cart loads, each adjacent to 8 bags (80 kg). Those who inactive person a Paathara proceed to bask a sensation passed down done generations, the women said.

“The astir prized prime of paddy stored successful the Paathara is its unsocial taste. The flimsy discolouration that occurs during retention enhances the flavour, which cannot beryllium replicated by immoderate modern retention method,” they said, portion describing the sensation and wellness benefits of the Paathara.

While, Chinnodu Gorakala, 70, a neighbour, added, “Rice made from Paathara-stored paddy is believed to beryllium a steadfast choice. The wellness parameters of those who devour it enactment this belief.”

Last of the generation

The Paathara contented has reached the brink of oblivion, with lone a fewer surviving successful villages specified arsenic Kesupuram, Eedupuram, Kumbari Naugam, Gokarnapuram, Boorjapadu, Loddaputti, Birlangi, and Sanyasi Puttuga crossed Kanchili, Sompeta, and Itchapuram mandals.

The contented flourished successful this inland, hilly terrain arsenic precocious moisture levels successful coastal soils could spoil atom stored underground.

The women explained that paddy is usually stored for astir six months, oregon until the monsoon arrives. Before the archetypal rains, each the atom is removed and shifted indoors for depletion until the adjacent harvest. They added that paddy is cultivated lone during the Kharif season, arsenic the Mahendratanaya canal strategy mostly dries up during Rabi.

In August 2015, NABARD had sanctioned ₹9.75 crore nether the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund to amended the Pydigam irrigation transmission system. While it irrigates astir 4,984 acres, it inactive fails to guarantee Rabi irrigation, forcing farmers to displacement distant from paddy cultivation.

Security and sustainability

Raamulamma Soori, an aged balladeer (a vocalist oregon writer who tells stories done ballads) from Baruva, said, “The Paathara protects atom from rodents, contamination, and theft. Being located successful beforehand of the location allows changeless monitoring.”

The Indian Grain Storage Management and Research Institute (IGMRI) notes that astir 10 per cent of nutrient grains are mislaid annually owed to unscientific storage, amounting to losses worthy ₹7,000 crore, with insects unsocial causing ₹1,300 crore successful damages (2026 estimates).

“In my autochthonal colony of Baruva, the Paathara contented has wholly vanished,” Ms. Raamulamma said.

Four kilometres from Jalantara Saasanam lies Poorna Saasanam, erstwhile a thriving pottery hub. By 2026, lone 1 potter remains—Magatha Behara, aged 60. The colony inactive has 9 Paatharas, with 2 much nether construction. One of these is being jointly built by 4 women: Poorna Ratnalu, Purushottam Ratnalu, Lingara Sardi, and Gudda Burunda.

“Each of america stored 10 bags successful our shared Khoni. Lack of abstraction and changing lodging styles are pushing this contented to extinction,” they said, adding that Paathara-stored atom is ne'er utilized for seeds oregon sweets, arsenic per ancestral wisdom.

Lost tradition

Due to the rising consciousness connected its flavour and medicinal value, middlemen present question Paathara-stored paddy. “But who volition proviso it erstwhile the contented itself is vanishing?” asked Seetaram Behara (45), a potter turned welder. He said that 5 years ago, Khonis were already disappearing. Today, they are a uncommon sight.

Potter Balaram Maamidipudi said that farmers had erstwhile stored ample quantities successful Khonis to hold for amended marketplace prices.

Expressing despair, Ms. Dillemma said, “During weddings, atom from the Paathara was utilized arsenic Talambraalu, believed to bless the mates done the onshore itself. But, if the Paathara contented disappears, we cannot get atom for Talambraalu. That nonaccomplishment would beryllium irreversible,” she added.

While emphasising the value of Paathara, Ms. Dillemma warned that successful our pursuit of modern retention facilities, we hazard losing the flavours our ancestors cherished forever.