Udsar

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Traditions

First floors

Parul Kulshrestha, February 22, 2021: The Times of India

Udsar, located near Sardarshahar in Churu district, Rajasthan, does not have a single building with a first floor
From: Parul Kulshrestha, February 22, 2021: The Times of India

A village where no one has constructed the first floor of their house for the past 700 years. Yes, you heard it right. Udsar, located near Sardarshahar in Churu district, Rajasthan, does not have a single building with a first floor.

Legend has it that Puranmalji, a cow worshipper fought valiantly with cattle thieves in a nearby village. Wounded, he took shelter in the first floor of his wife’s parents’ home in Udsar. The thieves found him there and after another fight, Puranmalji was killed. His wife committed Sati, but before ascending the pyre, told the villagers that having a first floor was unlucky. A temple was built to honour the couple; Puranmalji is now worshipped as Bhomiyaji.

Since then, the villagers have believed that it is unlucky to build a first floor. What started off as a tradition has now become an unsaid rule. Udsar is located next to the national highway. The location should have brought prosperity and job opportunities to the people. Unfortunately, because of this superstition, nobody is willing to invest in land in Udsar.

“There are ample opportunities to build godowns, factories or hotels, but due to this belief, no one is ready for any investment. Even the government schools and a private college in the village do not have another floor. Outsiders also do not dare to break the tradition as somehow they are scared,” Pratap Singh Saran, a resident of the village said.

Even the government school and other government buildings do not have a first floor.

With population rising, accommodation in the village is at a premium with a house for every 8.75 people. Those who can afford it have moved to the outskirts, while others have shifted to nearby villages or cities.

“As the population is increasing land has become scarce and land rates are rising. Economically well-off people are able to purchase but others have to look for land outside. A man with two sons has to purchase another plot as it is not possible to accommodate people in their houses,” Noranglal Poonia, a resident of the village said.

It’s not that they are actively stopped from building multi-storey houses. “No one in the village prevents anyone from building another floor, but the belief is not so easy to break. Since our childhood, we have been listening to stories of some people who built another floor around 200 years ago. Our elders say all the members of that family died after a few years. After that, no one dared to take a step forward,” said former sarpanch of the village Parameshwar Lal. The current sarpanch Guddi Devi says it may be that everyone is waiting for one person to break tradition and construct the first floor.

So far, nobody has wanted to do that.