Have you ever heard stories of ghosts and spirits from your grandparents? Tales of wandering souls in desolate places and rituals to exorcise them are common. But have you ever heard of worshipping spirits? In Bastar, Chhattisgarh, including the Abujhmad region, there are villages where spirits have a home, and not only that, they are also worshipped.
In the Abujhmad areas of Bastar, people of the tribal community provide homes to spirits and worship them. They invite the spirits and perform prayers for the well-being of the family. The tradition of giving homes to spirits in the villages of Abujhmad has been going on for years. The people of this village do not observe Pitra or Pitru Paksha. They believe that they keep the spirits of their ancestors in the spirit houses and worship them. The spirits of ancestors are kept in earthen pots (handis) and worshipped.
This is known as ‘Aana Kudma’ in the tribal community. Aana Kudma literally means ‘house of the spirit’. Former Chairman of the Chhattisgarh State Scheduled Tribes Commission, Devlal Dugga, shared information about these villages and the worship of spirits, stating that the people of the tribal community believe that the spirits of their ancestors reside here, who are worshipped daily.
Furthermore, when a wedding takes place in the village, the spirits are invited before the ceremony, and then those spirits bless the couple. Additionally, the use of new crops in the village is not done without offering it to the spirits. If someone accidentally does so, a crisis befalls the village. After that, the mistake is acknowledged, and prayers are performed.
Devlal Dugga stated that the people of the tribal community have a lot of faith in ‘Aana Kudma’. There is a small room-like house in the village, similar to a temple, in which an earthen pot (handi) is kept. It is said that the ancestors of the tribal community reside in this handi. Every house in these villages has a room for ancestors. In tribal villages, the number of people of a particular clan is high. So when someone dies, the people of that clan establish their spirits in Aana Kudma, who are then worshipped.
It is said that these spirits protect the people of the village from evil spirits. Devlal Dugga said that God resides in the spirit itself. The people of the tribal community worship their ancestors. On special occasions, such as festivals or weddings, these spirits are worshipped and blessings are sought. However, only men are allowed to enter the house of these spirits. The entry of women or girls is strictly prohibited. The wedding rituals also begin only after inviting the spirits.