Date:04/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/04/stories/2008120452800300.htm

Other States - Orissa

Tradition of accepting nature as wealth still continues

Staff Reporter

In the Hindu month of Margasira goddess Laxmi is worshipped

BERHAMPUR: Traditional rituals compel urbanites to remember importance of nature.

On Wednesdays in the Hindu month of Margashira Oriyas living in concrete jungles in care also compelled to reach out and search for some seasonal unique markets where even leaves of common plants and grass get sold for a price. It must be making these urbanites realise that nature is wealth and resource for humans, which our ancestors had realised.

On Thursdays in this month Oriyas worship goddess Laxmi through traditional rituals of agrarian nature. Rituals involve use of leaves and twigs of different plants. The city dwellers who have lost contact with the nature and agrarian rural habitat are compelled by tradition to remember them. And it provides some income source for rural traders coming to the city.

These small traders open up their market from Wednesday near the main markets. A heavy rush is seen at these makeshift markets where different leaves are sold for a price for the worship of goddess Laxmi. They include mango twigs having seven leaves, twigs of jujube, bel and amla trees.

Even bunches of doob grass, which is essential for any Hindu ritual are sold for a price of Rs. 1. Customers say it is quite hard for them to collect these plants in a city and it would be time consuming. Concrete jungle makes even doob grass a rarity while lawns sprout all around.

Decorative pieces made out of bunches of freshly harvested paddy is also an essential part of traditional worship of goddess Laxmi. They are also sold in large numbers in the city market. Earlier women of the family in villages used to make decorative pieces from their freshly harvested paddy of Kharif season.

It was being put at puja place as representative of goddess Laxmi.

The urbanites surely wish for the wealth through worship of the goddess. But they cannot come out of the agrarian tradition. So, they have to buy up a bunch of freshly cultivated paddy paying up Rs.10.