The five-day long Keslapur Nagoba jatara ended in this village on Saturday and the Mesram clan Raj Gond Adivasis who had gathered for their religious festival were home bound in the bullockcart caravans.
The serpent god Nagoba is the clan god of the Mesrams and is worshipped annually during the five-day event which also hosts a village fair or jatara at the venue.
On the last day, the Mesrams performed the Betal puja which has half a dozen Raj Gond elders jumping in the air reportedly after getting possessed by Betal god. The stick representing the god is wielded in the manner of a sword which indicates the fighting prowess of the Raj Gonds.
Meanwhile, the government has restored internet services as mysteriously as it had withdrawn it some 33 days ago following violent incidents owing to the Adivasi-Lambada rivalry in erstwhile Adilabad district. The suspension of internet services as well as resumption were without any prior announcement and both happened in the wee hours – of December 16 and January 20 respectively.
Those active on social media received over a thousand pending messages on messaging platforms once they switched on their data services. People nevertheless heaved a sigh of relief on the development.
