Ancient grain storage tradition fading fast in Srikakulam district

On a foggy morning, a week before Sankranti, a 52-year-old woman gathered clay, wildflowers, and paddy grains from her freshly harvested field. Marla Dillemma was preparing the traditional offering for Paathara—an ancestral practice of grain storage observed by farmers along the banks of the Mahendratanaya River in the Uddanam region of Srikakulam district, near the Andhra Pradesh–Odisha border.

As part of the ritual, Ms. Dillemma drew a bindi—similar to a forehead mark—on the Paathara and placed wildflowers and paddy grains on top while offering prayers. “This year, nearly 30 bags of paddy have been stored in our Paathara. Stored until the monsoon, it is meant entirely for our household consumption and rituals,” said Ms. Dillemma of Jalantara Saasanam village in Kanchili Mandal.

Ms. Dillemma’s family owns five acres of land, including four-and-a-half acres under tenancy, all located in the command area of a canal of the Mahendratanaya river. The river originates in the Mahendragiri hill range of Odisha and meets the sea at Baruva Mandal in the Uddanam region of Srikakulam district.

A traditional Paathara—an ancestral practice of grain storage observed by farmers— at Poorna Saasanam village of Kanchili Mandal in Srikakulam district.
| Photo Credit:
T. APPALA NAIDU

What is Paathara?

In Odia, the Paathara tradition is known as Khoni—a storage pit in which freshly harvested grains, mostly paddy, are stored. The pit is dug in a rectangular shape, plastered with straw and clay, and sealed with a layer of cow dung on top. Earlier, the Paathara was built in front of thatched houses and was an integral part of rural architecture, symbolising a thriving joint family system. Every paddy-growing family stored enough grain for its annual needs.

However, in Jalantara Saasanam, a village of nearly 200 households, only two Paatharas were constructed this year—one belonging to Ms. Dillemma near the canal and another built by Juttu Moinamma in the heart of the village.

Ms. Dillemma was assisted by her 28-year-old son, Jagadeesh, a seasonal farmer turned fire-safety expert who frequently travels between the city and the village. Ms. Moinamma was helped by her husband, Jogarao. Elderly men, in particular, are skilled at preparing straw ropes, which form the first layer in the pit, drawing on traditional farming knowledge.

“To the best of our memory, every household had a Paathara two decades ago, until cement roads were laid and concrete buildings replaced thatched houses. Today, the tradition is almost extinct in our area,” Ms. Moinamma said, adding that many villages are now left without even a single Paathara.

“We had to dig the pit outside the cattle shed as there is no space left in our ancestral house, which replaced the old thatched one,” Ms. Dillemma said.

Ms. Moinamma built her Paathara in front of her parents’ house due to lack of space at her own. Her family cultivates three acres of temple land leased from the century-old Radha Krishna temple, which owns most of the agricultural land in the village.

Ms. Dillemma, who brought home the paddy harvest on her family’s bullock cart, said that this would be the last harvest transported on the cart, as she had sold her pair of oxen in early January. “The bullock cart is gone from our lives. Next could be the Paathara tradition—its future now rests with my son,” she said.

A man carrying wood walks past Khonis in Poorna Saasanam village of Kanchili Mandal, Srikakulam district.
| Photo Credit:
T. APPALA NAIDU

Health benefits

Traditionally, the size of a Paathara reflected the size of the family and the extent of land it owned and was seen as a symbol of prosperity. Paddy yield was measured in bullock-cart loads, each equal to eight bags (80 kg). Those who still possess a Paathara continue to enjoy a taste passed down through generations, the women said.

“The most prized quality of paddy stored in the Paathara is its unique taste. The slight discolouration that occurs during storage enhances the flavour, which cannot be replicated by any modern storage method,” they said, while describing the taste and health benefits of the Paathara.

While, Chinnodu Gorakala, 70, a neighbour, added, “Rice made from Paathara-stored paddy is believed to be a healthy choice. The health parameters of those who consume it support this belief.”

Last of the generation

The Paathara tradition has reached the brink of oblivion, with only a few surviving in villages such as Kesupuram, Eedupuram, Kumbari Naugam, Gokarnapuram, Boorjapadu, Loddaputti, Birlangi, and Sanyasi Puttuga across Kanchili, Sompeta, and Itchapuram mandals.

The tradition flourished in this inland, hilly terrain as high moisture levels in coastal soils could spoil grain stored underground.

The women explained that paddy is usually stored for about six months, or until the monsoon arrives. Before the first rains, all the grain is removed and shifted indoors for consumption until the next harvest. They added that paddy is cultivated only during the Kharif season, as the Mahendratanaya canal system largely dries up during Rabi.

In August 2015, NABARD had sanctioned ₹9.75 crore under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund to improve the Pydigam irrigation channel system. While it irrigates nearly 4,984 acres, it still fails to ensure Rabi irrigation, forcing farmers to shift away from paddy cultivation.

Raamulamma Soori, a woman balladeer, native of Baruva, in Srikakulam district.
| Photo Credit:
T. APPALA NAIDU

Security and sustainability

Raamulamma Soori, an elderly balladeer (a singer or poet who tells stories through ballads) from Baruva, said, “The Paathara protects grain from rodents, contamination, and theft. Being located in front of the house allows constant monitoring.”

The Indian Grain Storage Management and Research Institute (IGMRI) notes that nearly 10 per cent of food grains are lost annually due to unscientific storage, amounting to losses worth ₹7,000 crore, with insects alone causing ₹1,300 crore in damages (2026 estimates).

“In my native village of Baruva, the Paathara tradition has completely vanished,” Ms. Raamulamma said.

Four kilometres from Jalantara Saasanam lies Poorna Saasanam, once a thriving pottery hub. By 2026, only one potter remains—Magatha Behara, aged 60. The village still has nine Paatharas, with two more under construction. One of these is being jointly built by four women: Poorna Ratnalu, Purushottam Ratnalu, Lingara Sardi, and Gudda Burunda.

“Each of us stored 10 bags in our shared Khoni. Lack of space and changing housing styles are pushing this tradition to extinction,” they said, adding that Paathara-stored grain is never used for seeds or sweets, as per ancestral wisdom.

Khonis dot a street in Poorna Saasanam village of Kanchili Mandal, Srikakulam district.
| Photo Credit:
T. APPALA NAIDU

Lost tradition

Due to the rising awareness on its flavour and medicinal value, middlemen now seek Paathara-stored paddy. “But who will supply it when the tradition itself is vanishing?” asked Seetaram Behara (45), a potter turned welder. He said that five years ago, Khonis were already disappearing. Today, they are a rare sight.

Potter Balaram Maamidipudi said that farmers had once stored large quantities in Khonis to wait for better market prices.

Expressing despair, Ms. Dillemma said, “During weddings, rice from the Paathara was used as Talambraalu, believed to bless the couple through the land itself. But, if the Paathara tradition disappears, we cannot borrow rice for Talambraalu. That loss would be irreversible,” she added.

While emphasising the importance of Paathara, Ms. Dillemma warned that in our pursuit of modern storage facilities, we risk losing the flavours our ancestors cherished forever.