Bhubaneswar/Dhenkanal: This nondescript hamlet comprising around 60 households is still in the grip of a belief that partaking non-vegetarian food in the village would invite ill-luck to the person by either getting bitten by a snake, or going blind over a period of time. We are talking about Bentasalia of Bhuban block in Dhenkanal district of Odisha.
So strong is this belief that every single person residing in Bentasalia strictly adhere to vegetarian food. Even the midday meal served to the kids in the primary school comprises bananas instead of eggs.
Tarabati Dash, a resident of this village informed that they are following the footsteps of their forefathers who had always abstained from having non vegetarian food. “The children who step outside the village for jobs or higher studies try to maintain this tradition. We do not have these kind of food even if there is a wedding or any kind of function in the family. Even the animals living in this village, be it cats or dogs are vegetarians,” she says.
But then she also added, “The animals present in this village have never seen or found any such food in this village. So how can they eat?”
Sashi Prava Dash, a resident of this village proudly boasts of this fact. “We belong to the Gopal Vaishnav clan. If we partake any such food, our eyes and ears will be destroyed. And if anyone brings any kind of non vegetarian stuff to our village, a snake would bite that person. You can test it. If there is any deviation of any kind in our kitchen, a snake would definitely appear.”
“We are the devotees of Radha Krishna. We conduct havans, pujas and kirtans all round the year. We don’t give away our daughters in marriage in other clans. And if a girl of different community gets married in our village, she follows our customs. This tradition is being followed by all of us since the inception of this village,” the village priest Bhramar Dash said.
Bijay Kumar Dash, the primary school teacher of this village also staunchly believes in this fact, although it does not have any kind of scientific temper to it. “I have seen people suffer of medical conditions who have broken this custom. They have issues in their sight also over the years or die a premature death.”
When confronted by the fact that they would definitely contract cataract with aging, or any death would occur due to some kind of medical condition, he continues with his explanation. “Why does this happen only to persons who break our customary beliefs? We have witnessed a few instances.”
But 40-yr-old Durbacharan Das , a driver and farmer by profession is one of the few Bentasalia’s rationalist men. He rubbishes the whole idea.
“I am also a vegetarian and have lived in this village since my birth. We do not eat non-veg food as we are vegetarians. But to say that if someone partakes non-veg food would turn blind or bitten by snake is nonsensical. There are many persons belonging to our village but have migrated to other States in search of livelihood. They have changed their food habits and no calamity has struck them, as per my knowledge.”
People in India believe in so many superstitions that sometimes it seems funny at how easily they overlook the practical aspect. Some may not have any logic of any kind, but still is practiced widely. For example, black cat crossing lane brings ill-luck, or using nimbu-mirchi wards off evil spirits, etc.
This small hamlet seems to have been gripped in one such belief that they do not want to part away with, or reason it. Some coincidences must have fuelled their beliefs but it’s high time that people should keep their minds open and give a chance to the explanations for everything.
