SRIKAKULAM: At a time when the whole nation is gearing up to celebrate the ‘Festival of Lights’ with pomp and gaiety, the festive atmosphere eludes the remote village of Punnanapalem in Ranasthalam mandal of Srikakulam district. The residents have been staying away from all the merrymaking on Diwali for around seven decades and it is a self-imposed restriction.
After a boy from the village died of snakebite on Diwali decades ago, the villagers began considering it inauspicious to burst crackers in the belief that the festival of lights, if celebrated, would bring bad luck. There is an unsaid rule that Diwali will not be celebrated in this village, says P Rama Rao, a retired teacher from the village.Asked how this practice came into practice and religiously followed as a tradition for generations, he recounts a tale.
Strangely, the residents imposed the restriction on themselves after an unfortunate incident which is not related to Diwali. Punnanapalem village got its name as almost 90 per cent of the residents belong to Punnana families. Some 70 years ago, the villagers were celebrating Nagula Chavithi. And a snake bit a baby boy belonging to a Punnana family while he was playing in a cradle.
The death news of the boy broke when the entire village was celebrating Nagula Chavithi near a termitorial and celebrations were on by lighting lamps and burning crackers, says Rama Rao. Since then, the villagers have stopped celebrating Diwali as it involves lighting of lamps and bursting crackers.
“The incident is still spiralling in the minds of the residents. I came to this village after my marriage when I was just 12. I have never seen people celebrating Diwali or Nagula Chavithi here,” says 60-year old Ramulamma.
Even, the villagers before pursuing marital alliances put forth a condition that the daughters-in-law cannot celebrate Diwali here, she says, adding that the girl from the village after marriage, however, can celebrate Diwali at their in-laws place.“Before my marriage, I used to enjoy Diwali with my family members. After I got married in 2000, I had to quit the celebrations at my in-law’s house,” says Ponnana Sarojini.
Why such a strange tradition?
Residents imposed the restriction on themselves after an unfortunate incident which is not related to Diwali at all, but to bursting crackers and lighting of lamps. Folklore has it that a baby boy died of snakebite when the villagers were celebrating Nagula Chavithi by celebrating crackers.