There are many telugu villages near paralakhemudi, since it is near the border.
Actually this area was a part of Andhra earlier and was transferred Orissa (Odisha) later.
This morning I spoke to my golla-mom-friend’s husband. He was carefully scraping the bark of a tummi plant to be used to heal wounds/bugs on cattle and goats.
He told me that there were 400 telugu homes, 3 oDiya homes, and 3 homes of sunDoLLu in the village.
Of the 400, 200 telugu families have gone of to cities for construction work. While the salaried classes and farmers have a kind of budget-life, the construction industry is booming and people are able to save much money as construction workers, – as they are paid well and do not have to maintain a status.
He gave me calculations to show that farmers can’t break even when there are no rains and they have to pay for irrigation water. So many of them sell or rent their farm lands and go to cities.
I came to sit here near the hanuman temple of the kApu savarulu who
speak telugu. There is a mom sitting here, she has 2 married children and one yet to be married. She is a farm worker. One son works in a company.
She cleans this place on wednesdays and sundays. They pray here. Offer hair, fowl or goats here. The tree is a neem tree, she refers to the god as amma, mother.
Sometimes they bring a brahmin for hOmam and mantrAs.
She has unusual growths on her digits, and elbows. Says they are painless.
