Cattle sheds in villages vanishing
Losing battle
With changing times, some age-old traditions are slowly vanishing. Cattle sheds, popularly known as 'doddi' which were found in most villages are now disappearing.
Doddis were a used as a common assembling point for cows and buffaloes, before they were taken out for grazing. This was a daily routine in the villages. The person who was nominated for this job was given sumptuous meals by different households every day.
Few remaining
Today such a tradition can be found only in a few villages like Duggasandra, Harapanayakanahalli, Arahalli and Kuladevi.
This tradition has survived in this villages mainly because of the few remaining plots of gomala lands or the common grazing grounds besides government land and hills.
Today, in several parts of Kolar gomala and government land has become sparse and therefore it is not practical to send out the cattle for grazing.
Over 30 years ago there were ‘prison’ cattle sheds existed in Government buildings. Cows which entered a field were put in these sheds and were released only after payment of a fine in the presence of the villagers.
In the past there was not much fencing for the fields as it is found today. Once dirty politics entered the villages, individuals built fence around their fields. Gomala and government lands were encroached upon.
Both gomala lands and the tradition of common cattle shed are fast disappearing.
