‘No one wants to marry us’: Plight of Maharashtra women who bring us the famous Godambi dry fruit

Maharashtra: Women in several villages of Maharashtra’s Washim district, earning a living by breaking Bhilawa, the outer covering of a dry fruit Godambi, are facing a rare situation. 

No one is ready to marry them. 

Oil impacts the skin 

Breaking Bhilawa releases an oil that adversely impacts women's skin. Often it leaves them with deep scars and marks. 

The women who are in this profession say that due to this work, it has become difficult for village girls to get married.

Rupali Tayde, who breaks Bhilawa in Amani village said, "The oil that flies on the body while breaking Bhilawa impacts our physical appearance due to which no one wants to marry us. Even people from outside do not want to marry their girls in this village. They believe if they send their girls here they might have to do the same work." 

“The government should help us in treatment.”

Another Sonali Khillare said, "This work has to be done from morning to evening, there is a pain in the hands, there is no sleep, and there are wounds on the body due to flying oil coming out of Bhilawa. The government should help us in its treatment." 

Sharing her plight to news agency ANI, Kanta Khandare said, “By breaking Bhilawa, we earn our livelihood however, we are paid peanuts while the contractors earn lakhs and lakhs of rupees." 

She added that “the women of her village buy Bhilawa from the contractors, and after breaking 3 to 4 quintals of Bhilawa, only 12 kg of Godambi (dry fruit) comes out of it, the money received from which is very meager.”

“It is not possible for everyone to treat the wounds and stains caused by the oil that comes out. The government does not help women in this matter,” she added.

(With inputs from ANI)