The chance to explore the scintillating scenes of the Krishna riverside life can be interesting.
There is a unique traditional practice of fishermen community, in which wives accompany their husbands on fishing assignments on river Krishna during the night and the practice is still alive in the island villages of Diviseema.
Overcoming all hurdles, women, including those newly wedded, go for fishing with their life partners on the country boats and are homebound only in the morning. They consider fishing as their sole livelihood option that they were blessed with. When the sun goes down, fishing boats are boarded only by couples and can be seen moving into the river.
Couples from surrounding villages too make their presence felt at strategic locations to catch fish. “It’s a common practice and an unwritten promise existing in our lives that women would help their life partners in fishing, irrespective of the season or age,” is a common explanation offered by the Pallekaru (fishermen) elders from Penumudi and Eelachetladibba villages in Nagayalanka.
Safe locations
There are a few safe locations that have been explored by the couples on the Krishna, close to the confluence point of the river with Bay of Bengal. The popular locations adjacent to the dense mangrove forest, bordering both Krishna and Guntur districts, are Penumudi, Eelachetladibba, Lankivennudibba, Edurumondi, Jinkapalem.
The labour sharing tradition, in which women equally share the responsibility of earning livelihood on a par with men in running the house, is still considered as one of the strongest pillars for successful married lives as well as flourishing joint family culture. “Fishing is a clear sign of how our family cycle is being run without any hurdles. If a healthy woman denies fishing, it means the couple develops differences, putting their family in trouble and that leads to financial constraints,” a village elder Lanka Babu told The Hindu .
