Ballari: Residents string together garland of neem leaves, lemons to keep Covid at bay

BALLARI: One can enter Kudathini town in Ballari district through seven different lanes, and no matter which of these one chooses, he or she is likely to be mildly surprised by garlands, on which flowers are noticeably absent, festooning each entrance – strung together in these garlands are neem leaves, chillies and lemons.
At a time when the entire world is grappling with an unprecedented healthcare crisis, the farming community in this town have hearkened back to folk wisdom to stave off the threat posed by Covid-19.
Among those who took the lead in tying these garlands along the roads of the town was Hanumesh Venkatanarayan, who attributed the idea of seeking divine intervention to the priest of the temple dedicated to the local Goddess Yellamma.
“Incidentally, the name of the priest, the office of which is held by a woman, is also Yellamma. She was the one who advised us that a ‘digbandhana (a rite or totem that is believed to keep out evil spirits)’ would protect the town from Covid-19. Most of the devotees in our town set much store by her insight and we decided to collect money to do her bidding. Contributions from the locals ranged from Rs 50 to Rs 9,000, and we collected around Rs 20,000 in all. In addition to buying neem leaves, onions, coconuts, which we have strung up into garlands adorning all the seven entries to Kudathini, we purchased saris for Goddesses Yellamma, Dyavamma, Durgamma, Sunklamma and Peddamma,” Venkatnarayan told TOI.
On the night of May 17, women offered pujas to the Goddesses, and the garlands were tied at the entry points the next day, he said.
H Prasad, a farmer in the town, said that they had followed all the safety norms prescribed by the government during the entire process. “Around 15 of us were involved in this task. We wore masks all the time, and used hand sanitiser constantly, while maintaining a safe distance. Although more devotees wanted to be a part of the endeavour, we dissuaded them against it. We also performed abhisheka to the God of Buddekallu, appealing to his benevolence to keep us safe from Covid-19 infection,” Prasad added.
Gadilingappa, another resident of the town, said that drums were played while the garlands were tied to the entrance. “But it was for a very brief period. Had the musicians played the drums as they usually do, it would have attracted a crowd, which we did not want,” Gadilingappa added.
Kudathini residents said that they felt much safer after the garlands were tied at all the seven entry points. It is a custom that the residents follow when they are confronted by forces beyond their power to control.
Interestingly, neighbouring villages such as Elubenchi, Siddammanahalli and Timalapur have decided to emulate the practice by tying garlands at their respective entrances.