Odisha Villagers Unite to Give Dignified Farewell to Young Nomadic Woman
To ease the family’s burden, the locals raised funds through small contributions—helping the nomadic group gather strength to return to their native village
Bhubaneswar: In the quiet hills of Daringbadi, known as Odisha’s “Kashmir,” a story of humanity unfolded that reminded many that compassion still binds us together, even across boundaries of place and culture.
Ruksuna Karadi, a young nomadic woman from Samastipur in Bihar, had come to the picturesque Kandhamal town with her family and companions. They were herbal sellers, wandering from one region to another, carrying not just roots and medicines but also hopes of survival.
But fate had something else in store. Ruksuna fell ill with jaundice. Despite treatment in Daringbadi, her condition worsened. Before her family could take her back to Bihar for further care, she breathed her last near Kalinga on Saturday evening.
For her grief-stricken family, far from home and resources, her death brought not just sorrow but helplessness. They did not know how to give her a dignified farewell in a land that was not their own.
It was then that the people of Daringbadi stepped in. With empathy as their guide, the villagers on Sunday gathered together, prepared a bamboo bier, and carried Ruksuna on their shoulders to the cremation ground. Around 80–90 residents joined in the final journey of a woman they had barely known, but whose humanity they fully shared.
They did not stop there. To ease the family’s burden, the locals raised funds through small contributions—helping the nomadic group gather strength to return to their native village. For the bereaved herbal sellers, this gesture was beyond words.
“We were helpless when she passed away. But the people of Daringbadi stood with us like family. They arranged the funeral, gave us money, and helped us since the time she was ill. We will never forget their kindness,” one of them said with folded hands.
“They were strangers in distress, crying with no one to turn to. Helping them was the least we could do,” said Arun Kumar Sahoo, a resident of Daringbadi, his voice steady with humility.
In that moment, Daringbadi became more than a hill station—it became a testament to shared humanity. For Ruksuna, a daughter of Bihar, it was the people of Odisha who became her final companions, proving that in times of sorrow, compassion knows no boundaries.
