The ‘cradle bond’ of the Muria tribe
The tribe, which has settled in the reserve forests of A.P., still practises the custom of a newborn’s father weaving a bamboo basket for the baby to sleep in for some months, and then keep for life
ovvasi Chukkayya, 40, a Muria tribal farmer, in the Chukkalapadu settlement, Alluri Sitarama Raju district, Andhra Pradesh, holds two baskets in his hands: one each for his two children. The first was woven some years ago for his first son; the second, a few months ago, for his second.
“It is portable and can be taken into the forest when we go to work,” Mr. Chukkayya said.
The Muria tribe custom mandates that a man weaves a bamboo cradle for his newborn as a lifetime memory for both the father and the child. The father must go into
Kthe forest, collect the bamboo, dry it, and weave the cradle with his own hands, with no help from anyone.
“In our Gond language, the cradle is called vookada. We put the baby in the cradle during the entire lactating period. Children develop a bond with their cradle as they grow older. We also tell them the cradle is a gift from their father,” said Ravva Masamma, a mother of two children. The child is allowed to use it for as many years as he wishes. It can also be hung on a tree branch, as it has long ropes attached to it. Within the hut it is most often tied to the roof struts built with precious wood, mostly teak. Once a child has outgrown it, the cradle is preserved and will not be used for any other purpose.
“Irrespective of gender, the vookada is gifted to every child in the family. The number of cradles in the house indicates the total number of children born to a family,” said Ravva Pojayya.
His eightyearold son Suresh still plays with the cradle his father made for him.
As many as 54 Muria settlements exist in Andhra’s reserve forests.