When Banamara Das was small, barapalli had no schools, so he had a tuition teacher who taught him how to read and write. There were no notebooks, pens, slates or chalks then. His teacher would just clean the ground and write on the soil with his fingers. That’s how benamra learnt how to read and write. And now, he has read several books on life, the epics, the Vedas, the puranas, books on medicine, ayurveda. these books had been written on talapatra. He is a really learned person. He also made schools in the village of arjunpur.
Wonder how he started killing animals? Benamara Das started hunting animals since he was 12 years old. He had his riffle which was issued in the name of his grandfather. Hunting was considered an act of bravery at that time. People were rewarded then. Whenever he killed a tiger, a lion, or a bear, he would be called in court, not to be accused of killing an animal but to be rewarded with a certificate with 350 rupees. When benamara das was asked how he felt about killing animals, he’d animatedly say, “I felt great, there was not a better hunter than me. No animal could escape me. “
When Banamara Das was 15, he met a british couple who had come hunting. He was just sitting with them in the forests when he noticed a deer passing. He tried to show the couple the deer twice. But they missed seeing it and didn’t believe him at all. Banamara just took the riffle and shot the deer. That is when the couple believed. Infact they wanted to adopt benamara, but his father refused. Benamara Das tells this story very happily.
When Benamara Das is asked what he did with the animals, he’d say, that he just gave it to his friends and family. He never sold anything. They would take the animal’s skin or horns. And the birds were edible, so that would be cooked for meals.
He loved hunting. He was sent to various parts of Orissa by the government to hunt animals. He went to phulbani, sonpur, puri,kendujhar, bolangir, patna, etc . Heused to go everywhere. He was an expert.
When asked, which was the best part of his life, he said, when he joined the army at the age of 25. He served the army for around 5 years. He really loved army life. It was his father who called him back as he was not keeping well. He said, he would die if he didn’t see his son. Banamara came back, and on seeing his sick father, went to various doctors and vaidyas for treatment. He got whatever they told him to get but his father would be well for sometime and again he’d be ill. Finally, nothing could help him. It was then when he started reading. His family had a large chest filled with books in talapatra, really ancient books. There were books in ayurveda. His friend also gave him several books. Benamara started curing his father himself. He would get the herbs in the forest and extracts of animals and make medicines with them. His father started feeling much better. His father was finally cured. The old man lived for 25 more years. Benamara realised the results of reading. So he arranged for more books and he kept on reading and gaining knowledge.
He has knowledge of 4 different types of medicine:
Kabiraj- the study of ayurveda,
Nagantak- is the study of curing people who are bitten by animals,
Gaushashtra-veterinary,
And the study of curing small children.
He mastered over these four areas. He cures people and animals and doesn’t charge a penny. He says, he doesn’t trust any of the doctors. And says, these doctors just learn and then forget. He doesn’t believe in their study.
Has he ever been to jail? Well, yes, he had been to the lockup several times. But he never feared anyone. He’d say, “sir, you might miss a shot killing me but I won’t.”
He would just pay a fine. And he was out.
Now, he has left hunting. He is reading the bhagwat geeta sitting on the veranda of his house. He has 3 sons and 3 daughters looking after him. He now commits that he had committed the sin of killing animals. ”paapa toh karichi” .
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