Gond Clans Perform Persapen Bathing
Rituals begins with Maha Puja at the water site, followed by the ceremonial bath of the deity.
Update: 2025-05-13 15:29 GMT
Adilabad: Amid the beats of traditional drums and chants, Adivasis across the erstwhile Adilabad district took part in the sacred annual ritual of Persapen ku Gangasnanam, where their clan deity, Persapen — also known as Badadev — is ceremonially bathed in sacred water bodies for purification.
As part of this centuries-old tradition passed down from their forefathers, members of various Gond Adivasi clans — including Thodasam, Atram, Mesram and Soya — carried the Persapen on foot to designated water bodies believed to possess spiritual cleansing power.
Rituals began with Maha Puja at the water site, followed by the ceremonial bath of the deity. The sanctified Persapen was then brought back to the village and placed at the clan’s sacred site known as Penghada. The final ritual, Mandagajling, marked the completion of the purification ceremony. Every year, the Adivasis take their Persapen to the same sacred place to give a bath to their God and the tradition is being followed from their forefathers.
In each clan, the son-in-law plays a key role in leading the Persapen for Gangasnanam and performing the bathing rituals, while the Adivasi elders guide the ceremonies. Adivasi women from particular clans, dressed in traditional white attire, also participated in Peresapen Bhetting, where they viewed the Persapen, often for the first time.
Mesram Sekhar Babu of Lokari (B) village, a son-in-law of the Thodasam clan, said he participated in the rituals at Chithaguda village in Narnoor mandal. He said the clan took their Persapen in a procession to the sacred water body at Romankasa in Gadiguda mandal on the occasion of Pournami. “This annual bath is an act of Shuddi — the purification of our God,” he explained.
Adivasis from Khairdatwa in Narnoor mandal and Salewada in Utnoor mandal also performed the bathing ceremony for their respective Persapen at their local sacred water sites. Key sacred sites where the ritual took place include Gundala in Narnoor mandal, and Bhurkumuguda, Gadiguda, Pulikaschar, Kunikasa and Hatudikasa in Gadiguda mandal. These locations are considered spiritually significant for this annual observance.
Sidam Sonerao of Mathadiguda in Utnoor mandal said, “Purifying our Persapen by giving it a sacred bath at least once a year is essential. It is a deeply respected responsibility for our community.”