CUTTACK, Nov 25: Imagine a village with not a single house having any door or window. It may sound incredible, but such a village exists in Orissa's coastal Kendrapara district.Perhaps the only of its kind anywhere, Siadia under Rajkanika block, about 60 km from here, baffles both casual visitors and the administration.

Spread over 25 hectares, the village has 80 houses all of which look similar and are without any doors or windows.The belief is that Kharkhai Thakurani, the local deity, guards each house, says Ajay Nayak, an educated youth of the village.The inhabitants are farmers or businessmen, but no one has ever heard of any theft in the village though burglars swoop down on nearby villages and hamlets regularly.

Having aroused the curiosity of people from far and near, Siadia reported one case of theft 20 years ago but the thief was tracked down. He died within a month, villagers say.Police says that though thefts occurred regularly in neighbouring villages, not a single case had been reported from Siadia during the last five years. The govt recently constructed a community centre in the village but, respecting the tradition, left it without any doors and windows.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.