BADIPODA - Die from Cholera

During my childhood days, I often used to spend long Summer vacations in my village, not far from the temple town of Puri. One commonly used GALI (rebuke) was BAADIPODA. Growing up in Bhubaneswar, I wasn't familiar with this slang, meaning "Barbecued from Cholera" - a Death Wish curse to perish from a malignant, dangerous disease of dysentery and dehydration.

It's not C**dom, but Cholera which kept India's population under control couple of generations back. Life then was a matter of surviving the next cholera season (small pox season was a close second) which would often wipe out entire families, leaving many rudderless in matter of days.

Many of my grandparent's siblings and cousins perished from Cholera. So much so that, after cremating one, there will be more dead bodies in pipeline to be picked up along with firewoods. Three of my grandpa's Cousins, 2 of his sisters and a brother, all perished from Cholera in a time frame of 48 hours. 

Lack of knowledge and awareness - like soaking rice with water for PAKHALA (A staple Odia diet) from the same pond where folks washed their bottoms post ablution, took a toll on hygiene and helped in spreading the disease. But many superstitions galored. 

During the epidemics, the entire village would shut down after dark. No sooner the twilight sets in, than the villagers liberally filled huge earthen pots outside with PITHA (cakes made from rice and grams), PANAA (a sweetened puree made from yogurt and fruits like Banana and Stone Apples or BEL) for the consumption of BAADI THAKURANI (the Goddess of Cholera) or Maa SITHALA (The Goddess of Pox). 

Job done, they rushed back home never to dare venture out untill dawn, lest they earn the wrath of the Goddess. Not sure how far the Goddess was appeased but the stray dogs of the village had a field day. They put on a lot of weight and seemed healthier and happier than their human counterparts.

Post independence, vaccinations virtually wiped out many communicable diseases. Since the MAHAMAARI or Epidemics like Cholera and Small Pox became curable, we are perpetually fighting a losing battle against the menace of explosive population growth. BADIPODA should be relegated to the Museum of Slangs. Cancer Poda or AIDS Poda, both incurable diseases are much better substitutes.