A tribal family in Odisha’s Rayagada district underwent a controversial “purification ritual” involving mass head-shaving and animal sacrifices, after one of their daughters married a man from a different caste. The incident took place in Baiganaguda village under the Gorakhpur panchayat in the Kashipur block.

The young woman, belonging to a Scheduled Tribe (ST), recently tied the knot with a man from a Scheduled Caste (SC) from a neighbouring village. Despite the couple’s consent, their union faced strong disapproval from both families due to entrenched caste customs.

Local traditions in the community deem inter-caste marriage as an affront to tribal norms, with the belief that such unions invoke the wrath of the village deity. As a result, her family was socially boycotted by the villagers, who allegedly demanded ritual cleansing if they wished to be accepted again.

To meet this demand, the family organised a ritual that involved the public shaving of 40 members’ heads, and the sacrifice of goats, pigs, and chickens in front of the village deity. Following the rites, a communal feast was held, and the family was reportedly welcomed back into the fold.

Video of the Incident Goes Viral

A video of the ceremony went viral on social media, drawing public attention and concern. Responding to the footage, local authorities launched an investigation. Kashipur Block Development Officer (BDO) Bijay Soye confirmed, “The team members met the couple’s families who explained that they observed the ritual as per their custom without any compulsion.”

According to the administration, no formal police complaint has been filed yet. However, the matter has been escalated to senior officials for review. Authorities are also considering whether the couple qualifies for Odisha’s inter-caste marriage support scheme, which offers a financial incentive of Rs 2.5 lakh to promote social integration.

This is not the first such incident in the state. Earlier this year in Bargarh, another inter-caste couple’s family faced severe backlash and was reportedly barred from performing funeral rites — a reminder that caste-based discrimination remains a pressing issue in rural Odisha despite government efforts to encourage social inclusion.