Quarantining in the Commons: A Unique Practice in Enamaravaripalle

[Vishno]

In this blog, I would like to point out a very interesting tradition or custom followed by the villagers of Enamaravaripalle in relation to commons and diseases. Enamaravaripalle is located in Nallamada Mandal in Sri Sathya Sai District within the state of Andhra Pradesh
The people of Enamaravaripalle have this unique practice of isolating themselves in their commons for a day whenever a disease spreads in their village.
This unique practice embodies a tradition of collective practice which is adhered to by each and every villager.
As per the descriptions given by the villagers, the people of Enamaravaripalle leave the village in the morning spend a whole day in their commons and return to the village that night. They undertake the said practice with a belief that doing so would help prevent the spread of the disease.
Their common land has a temple. And they spend their day near the temple which has a pond which they described to be perennially filled with water. The villagers also added that people who are suffering from any particular disease chose to spend a few days near the temple and drink the water which they believe would cure them of any disease, irrespective of whether the disease is widespread in the village.
This practice of quarantining or isolating themselves or isolating oneself in the commons to prevent the spread and/or to seek a cure for the disease indicates a sense of responsibility which has a utilitarian undertone of safeguarding the overall health and wellness of the villagers.
Thus, this practice of isolating/quarantining all the villagers whenever there are diseases spreading in the village embodies an element of the common culture where each and every villager takes responsibility to go to the commons and spends a day in the commons with an intention of protecting the village from the spread of disease(s) and ensure the overall wellbeing of the villagers.
Therefore, this practice of the villagers in Enamaravaripalle, which has a sense of collective responsibility with a utilitarian end, embodies a sense of common culture.

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