Ever played with them ?

Red velvet mites or Trombidiidae, the fascinating very cute small red bugs are visible only during the early rainy season. Seeing them in the morning in our football field brought back our childhood memories. Back then, we would spend hours following them and touching them to feel that velvet warmth - a unique entertainment for us. This natural way of entertainment was no less than a gadget for us. They have a special place in our culture and given a very privileged name - ସାଧବ ବୋହୁ - which symbolizes the bride of the rich seafaring merchants of ancient times, wearing a red Silk Saree. In English, it is called the Red Velvet Mite possibly because its upper part is as smooth as a velvet mesh. In some places, even they are worshiped in the Raja Festival - a three day long special festival in the month of June. They are most commonly found in the early rainy season and on the day of Raja Sankranti, virgin girls collect them and worship them for good rains - good rains bring fortune for the farmers. And since the rainy season brings the greenness all around us, it is believed, their existence in this universe is to add beauty to the nature.

There were some lovely songs dedicated to them, that we would sing in our friends group and enjoy those times, which goes like this :

ସାଧବ ବୋହୁ ଲୋ ସାଧବ ବୋହୁ
ଅନ୍ୟ ବେଳେ ତୁ କୁଆଡ଼େ ଥାଉ
ଝିପ୍ ଝିପ୍ ବର୍ଷାରେ ଦେଖା ଦେଉ

Its like wondering where does the Red velvet mite live in other times and come only during early rain ?

And this one has a lot of feelings :

ସାଧବ ବୋହୁ ଲୋ ସାଧବ ବୋହୁ,
ପିନ୍ଧି ନାଲି ଶାଢ଼ୀ ପାଟ
କୁଆଡ଼େ ଯାଉଚ ଚାଲି
ଆସିଲାଣି ଉଠି ମେଘ
ଘର ଯାଅ ବେଗି ବେଗ ।।

Hey the lovely and beautiful bride of the seafaring merchant, wearing a red silk saree, where are you going ? The rain is coming, go soon to your house. Lot of feelings in that, isn't it ? So much that, as soon as we saw one of them on the field, we stopped doing the warm up and the entire team searched for them on the field - taking them and leaving outside of the field so that, no one accidentally steps over them. It affected our schedule but everyone was happy about it - those feelings are still there. Unfortunately, they are about to be extinct in urban areas, and some kids may not even recognize them - so we should teach our kids to know about this cute lady of nature. I have made my kids hold them and feel them and then see their expression - Wow.....

And I remember a funny fact from our childhood memories - some would take and keep one of them in a Vermilion (Sindoor) box giving them a special treat. Now I wonder, if it was killing them at the end?

Background Music by orangiromusik from Pixabay

And by the way, don't read my palm if you are a palm reader😀

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