Devmali
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Traditions
Architecture
Parul Kulshrestha, February 22, 2021: The Times of India
From: Parul Kulshrestha, February 22, 2021: The Times of India
Udsar is not alone in living with such superstitions. These kinds of beliefs are fairly common in Rajasthan according to anthropologist Madan Meena.
"In Ajmer district there is a village named Devmali where people do not construct pucca houses. The village is of Gurjar community who worships deity Devnarayanji. Except the temple in the village of Devnarayanji, there are no pucca houses in the village as they believe that it will bring disaster in their lives,” Meena said.
No pucca houses here
Devmali, a small village in Ajmer district, is like a picture postcard from medieval times, untouched by the parameters of modernisation and development. All houses are made of mud thanks to a popular belief that the village will face a calamity if a single pucca house is constructed.
Most of the kitchens use a 'hulha' and even though some houses have power connections, villagers have opted not to use air coolers or air conditioners.
Some villagers have constructed concrete homes in nearby villages as a back-up, but continue to live in their mud-houses in Devmali. The village is dedicated to deity Dev Narayan and therefore we follow his teachings even in this modern age. Even youth are not allowed to break these rules," said Ramnarayan Gujjar, a resident.
Use of mud
The Times of India, May 28 2016
Kshitiz Gaur
Myth drives villagers to live in mud huts
Devmali, a small village in Ajmer district, is like a picture postcard from medieval times, untouched by the parameters of modernisation and development. All houses in this hamlet are made of mud due to the local belief that the village will face a calamity if a single pucca house is constructed.
Most of the kitchens use a `chulha' and even though some houses have power connections, villagers have opted not to use either air coolers or air conditioners. Not a single piece of iron or concrete has been used in the construction of houses.
“Someone tried to use concrete during construction and the entire house collapsed wit hin a week,“ said a villager.
A few villagers have constructed concrete homes in nearby villages, but continue to live in their mud houses in Devmali.
The villagers also do not lock up their homes, and as per police records, not a sing le case of theft or burglary has been reported in the village in the last 50 years.
“The village is dedicated to deity Dev Narayan, and therefore, we follow his tea chings even in this modern age,“ said Ramnarayan Guj jar, a resident.
“Most of us are farmers but none of us own any agricultural land. Not a single villager in this cluster of 80 families here consumes liquor or non-vegetarian food. We all continue to follow the traditional customs, and therefore, the village has no concrete house,“ he added.
Every inch of the land is registered in the name of deity Dev Narayan. “We have no dispute because land to be cultivated by each family is already marked out,“ said Sunil Gujjar, a farmer.
