A viral video from Sheopur district, Madhya Pradesh, has exposed the crumbling infrastructure of a tribal village where a woman was seen performing a religious ritual while struggling through a muddy road.

The incident took place at Achharwal Saharana village, which is in Karhal Tehsil, Sheopur district and the video went viral on September 17.

Visuals showed Janaki Bai, a tribal woman, performing the religious practice of dandavat parikrama (prostration ritual) on a muddy road as she heads toward the Panwada Mata Temple, approximately 1.5 kilometers from her village.

In the video, Janaki Bai is seen placing a coconut on the ground, folding her hands in prayer, and then lying flat to continue her journey, all while covered in mud. The heavy rains have worsened the already dilapidated road conditions, leaving her, and other residents, no choice but to traverse through thick mud and waterlogged areas.

Villagers, including devotees who regularly visit the temple, have repeatedly raised complaints with local authorities about the unsafe road conditions. Despite their appeals to the village head and officials, no action has been taken to build proper roads or drainage systems.

Following the viral spread of the video, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Karahal, Sanjay Jain, acknowledged the issue. He stated that the poor road conditions are a result of the village panchayat’s negligence and promised that steps would be taken to initiate road and drainage construction after discussing the matter with the district CEO.

This incident has drawn attention to the challenges faced by rural communities in tribal areas, especially during the monsoon season, where basic infrastructure is lacking despite repeated requests from the residents.

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