October 31 – Bondi Tribes, Drive back to Rayagada

We started today with a drive out of town, passing some interesting temples,

We watched some women making markings on the sidewalk (Rangoli) in front of doors to welcome the goddess of prosperity, Laxli,

and saw a cow patiently waiting for food.

By the side of the road there was a small ceremony at a termite mound worshiping the snake that the people believe lived in the mound.  

The snake does not dig its own hole, but lives in holes made by other animals, and is believed to eat the termites.  Offerings include milk and food and the burning of incense.  The food is later eaten by the people.

Plates use by the people – made of leaves and bamboo pins.  It is used once, and then discarded, to be eaten by the cows or decayed and returned to the earth.  The people are very much in tune with nature. 

And since Diwali was only a few days old, firecrackers.

School children making the Rangoli markings.

We saw many monkeys by the side of the road.

The countryside is very pretty.  Very different from other areas of India we have been to.

They use the cows to smash the rice, in order to separate the rice from the stock.

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Watch video of cows smashing the rice.
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We arrived at the market, to see the market and the Bonda tribe people.  The women wear many rings around their necks, which are never removed.

A truck carrying lots of people to the market.

Going to market

And a colorful market it is.

Taking chickens and alcohol home (alcohol is a big seller at the markets).

Drinking alcohol

After the market, we stopped at a village.  The woman sitting on the ground was sick, and the villagers were using traditional methods to try to cure her. 

We quickly walked past toward the village, past stacks of wood for the fire and also for building. 

And into the village, where we saw the tribal shrine.

It started raining at this point, so we cut the village walk short and went to the van.