Doorless Houses Of Chhattisgarh, A Mark Of The Pardhi Tribe Of Kanker Village Who Fight Poverty Not Thieves
While Shani Shingnapur's doorless houses signify faith, in Chhattisgarh’s Pardhipara, the absence of doors tells a harsher story of struggle for existence of Pardhi community.
Published : September 11, 2025 at 1:35 PM IST
By Tameswar Sinha
Kanker (Chhattisgarh): Thirty-five kilometre from Kanker district headquarters when you enter Pardhipara, a small settlement of the local tribal community Pardhi, in Risewada village of Narhar block, you are likely to be confused. For, the tribal hamlet with mud walls, thatched roofs, children playing in the open apart, not a single house here has a door, a la Shani Shingnapur in Maharashtra.
Prod a little on why the hutments have no doors and the Pardhis, once hunters of the forest, say, “We do not have gold or silver. We also do not have anything valuable. All we have are a few clothes and utensils. So who is going to steal those?” asks villager Kalu Ram Netam, explaining why doors are unnecessary. The community now makes a living weaving baskets, mats, and tokri from bamboo.
There are about 10 houses in Pardhipara, though only six are inhabited by the 34 people, who live here with children and elderly. The tradition of not having doors has been continuing since generations and seemed to be a normal thing for the dwellers. During the visit of ETV Bharat team, women were busy weaving bamboo strips into baskets while men seemed busy readying the material required for the next day’s work.
“Since we do not have anything, how can there be theft?” asks Laxman Ram Shori, adding that their daily struggle is not with what thieves will steal. "Our concern is with hunger. Sometimes animals enter, but we do not have money to spare for a door,” he adds.
The village, however, has electricity connection though basic facilities elude the residents. Neither is there a school nearby, nor any pucca approach road. Children are forced to walk long distances, while kutcha road poses challenge during emergencies. There are no ration shops close by and worse - forest guards restrict them from cutting bamboo, their only hope. Only two families here have received PM Awas benefits while most people continue to live in makeshift homes.
Social worker Keshav Shori, who has been working with the Pardhi community, says their marginalisation has deep roots. “These people were nomads until the 1980s, when forest laws forced them to settle at one place. Today, about 2,000 people from the Pardhi community live in Chhattisgarh, mostly in Kanker, Kondagaon, and Balod districts. Recognised as Scheduled Tribes, most people struggle for livelihood. Their economic and social conditions have not improved while children are still denied caste certificates, making school admissions difficult,” he informs.
According to Parivartan Samaj Seva Sanstha, the Pardhi population in Chhattisgarh includes 395 in Kanker, 503 in Kondagaon, 122 in Narayanpur, 209 in Balod, and 140 in Balodabazar. They depend on bamboo work for sustenance.
With barely sufficient food and few opportunities, the Pardhi community continues to live on the edge. So the they are least bothered about doors in their houses. "We need survival measures, not security from thieves," they say.
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