Paathara Grain Storage Tradition Fades in Uddanam Region

On a fog-laden morning ahead of Sankranti, a 52-year-old farmer in Jalantara Saasanam village of Srikakulam district prepared a ritual that once defined agrarian life in Uddanam. Marla Dillemma gathered clay, wildflowers, and freshly harvested paddy to consecrate her Paathara, a traditional underground grain storage system practised by farming communities along the Mahendratanaya River near the Andhra Pradesh–Odisha border. The ritual blends agriculture, faith, and household food security.

What is Paathara or Khoni?

Known as Khoni in Odia, the Paathara is a rectangular pit dug into the ground, lined with straw and clay, and sealed with cow dung. It is primarily used to store paddy for household consumption until the monsoon. Historically built in front of thatched homes, Paatharas symbolised prosperity and joint family living. Every paddy-growing household once maintained one, storing enough grain for the entire year.

A Practice Shrinking with Changing Lifestyles

In Jalantara Saasanam, a village of nearly 200 households, only two Paatharas were built this year. Cement roads, concrete houses, and shrinking living spaces have pushed the tradition to the margins. Farmers like Ms. Dillemma and Juttu Moinamma now dig pits outside cattle sheds or in relatives’ yards due to lack of space. Elderly villagers, once custodians of straw-rope making and pit preparation skills, say the practice has nearly vanished in the past two decades.

Health, Taste, and Cultural Value

Paathara-stored paddy is valued for its distinct taste and perceived health benefits. Slight discolouration during storage enhances flavour, a quality not achieved through modern storage methods. Traditionally, the size of the Paathara reflected landholding and family size. Rice from such storage was also used for rituals, including Talambraalu during weddings, believed to carry blessings of the land.

Important Facts for Exams

• Paathara (Khoni) is a traditional underground grain storage system used in north coastal Andhra and south Odisha.
• The system protects grain from moisture, rodents, theft, and contamination.
• Paddy stored in Paathara is meant only for consumption, not for seeds or commercial sale.
• The practice is linked to Kharif-only paddy cultivation in the Mahendratanaya canal command area.

Last Survivors and Structural Challenges

The tradition now survives in a handful of villages across Kanchili, Sompeta, and Itchapuram mandals. Limited irrigation, despite funding support from NABARD for canal improvement, has reduced paddy cultivation to the Kharif season. As bullock carts, oxen, and thatched homes disappear, farmers fear Paathara may follow. For families like Ms. Dillemma’s, its survival rests with the next generation, caught between modern convenience and ancestral wisdom.