Balangir, Sept 27: For the Dunguri Teli community of western Odisha, the Rahul River is not merely a river. It is sacred-a living symbol of their ancestral faith.

For more than 300 years, the community has followed a unique tradition: its members do not step into the waters of the Rahul River. According to their belief, the flowing water represents the chest of their Ishta Devata, or family deity. Placing one’s feet on it is considered a grave sin and is believed to bring misfortune and even shorten one’s life.

The tradition is so deeply rooted that, in the past, Dunguri Teli families would avoid crossing the river even by boat. Wedding processions would not cross it either. When necessary, they relied on others to cross the river or made alternative arrangements.

The Rahul River flows through the borders of Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Balangir. According to community folklore, it originates in the Subarnagiri hills of Kandhamal and eventually meets the Tel River near the Jaleswar Mahadev temple at Pendimunda.

The ancestors of the Dunguri Teli lived along the river and depended on its fertile banks for their livelihood. They cultivated oilseeds such as mustard, sesame, groundnut, linseed and sunflower. Because the river sustained their settlements and agriculture, it gradually became an integral part of their spiritual life.

The community believes that their deity himself emerged from the river, making its waters sacred.

Today, modern bridges have made crossing the Rahul much easier. Yet the old belief remains. Dunguri Teli families may cross the river on a bridge, but traditionally seek forgiveness before doing so and continue to avoid touching the water with their feet.

The community also worships traditional deities including Rahul Budha, Mahalakshmi, Chandi, Gharghusen, Lulibhungi and Dwarasenen.

The Dunguri Teli are found not only in the Saintala and Titlagarh areas but across parts of western Odisha and neighbouring Chhattisgarh, with families also living in coastal Odisha. Education, urbanisation and modern professions have transformed their lives, but the river remains an important part of their cultural identity.

Interestingly, their traditional reverence has also encouraged environmental responsibility. Community members discourage pollution and damage to the river, treating it as something to be protected rather than merely used.

The Rahul has changed its course over time and now flows far from some of the settlements where the community once lived. Yet the tradition survives.