Kalyansinghpur: Horror and superstition are in full display in interior pockets of Koraput district. After five persons died of diarrhoea, villagers in Bemberi village, a remote hamlet under Kalyansinghpur block, Sunday resorted to sorcery to appease gods.
It all began midnight Saturday after locals, seeking divine intervention, arranged a special puja in the village with the help of two sorcerers. A pig was sacrificed in the village graveyard before the puja began. Worse, two sorcerers were seen drinking alcohol while performing puja.
According to sources, five persons recently died after they were affected by diarrhoea. Believing it to be an act of devil spirits, locals fled the village and took shelter in nearby forests. Acting on a tip-off, the local administration rescued them and provided shelter at block office.
Officials bore all expenses and provided free food, clothes, blankets, sarees and mosquito nets. They were also admitted to a local hospital. However, it failed to remove the belief of people in sorcery. They claimed the death of five persons was a fallout of evil spirits.
They left the block office and assembled in the village for a puja.
They called two sorcerers who sought hens, pigeons, goats, a pig and other puja materials from locals. Later, the puja was started late in the night. A pig was sacrificed in the village graveyard. Locals believed if a puja is held it would pacify evil spirits and ghosts, devils and witches will go away. Villagers will not be affected by any diseases and will live in peace, Wengesika Bari, Wengesika Drika, Wengesika Sani, Sikka Budia and Jadaka Makar of the village said.
Two sorcerers Kargam Ramkrushna and Sitena Kadraka threatened the villagers that more people would die if the puja was not performed. Worse, they demanded liquor before performing the puja. ‘The puja will be done after consuming liquor, the sorcerers said adding, sorcerers might also be seized of evil spirits if they are not drunk’. They were seen holding a glass in one hand and drinking and performing the puja, sources said.
The puja was conducted at a spent of `50, 000 with the two sorcerers pocketing `20,000, villagers stated. Many of the villagers reportedly sold their gold ornaments while some borrowed money from private money lenders to carry out the puja, they added.
We will return the money after harvesting of pulses, wild root, raggi, turmeric, mustard and maize, they said. Lack of awareness against such superstitious acts leads to a spurt in sorcery practices.
Dogged by superstition and illiteracy, such incidents are witnessed in these villages at regular intervals, sources said. PNN
