KURNOOL: Ayyakonda is a traditional village in Kurnool district that follows peculiar customs of burying the dead in front of their houses and not sleeping on beds. Ayyakonda, also known as I Konda, is located in Gonegandla mandal.About 150 families live in the village and all belong to the Mala Dasari community. The families have been following these customs for 200 years. The people bury their dear departed in front of their houses and raise a tomb over it. Not only that - the tomb is a worship place for them as not a single day passes without offering their meal to the tombs. There are Nalla Reddy Gudi and Gangamma Gudi in the village.
M Chintalaiah, an agriculture labourer, said the village is a homogenous dwelling place for the Mala Dasari community. Marriages are conducted among the village members, and no outside alliance is allowed, he said. He said some time ago, two persons from the Valmiki Boya community started living there, but mysteriously they suffered from unknown diseases and left the village. It is the village for Mala Dasaries, Chintalaiah added.
P Rangamma, anganwadi worker, said they prefer to sleep only on the floor and use of cots is shunned by the villagers. She said long ago, the village was under coercion by a landlord called Nalla Reddy. When Nalla Reddy was not given a cot as dowry at the time of his marriage, he told all villagers not to sleep on cots. And this is being followed till date. Even pregnant woman has to sleep and deliver on the floor.