Kendrapara: The erosion-hit coastal villagers of Rajnagar tehsil may well remind one of the God-fearing characters of J.M. Synge's Riders to the Sea.

The Irish dramatist's play is centred on a set of deeply religious characters who find themselves at odds with an unbeatable force of nature (this being the sea), as they remain wary of its supernatural characteristics.

Similarly, the sea erosion-hit villagers in the district continue to observe the annual ritual of worshipping the sea god, believing that it will tame the oceanic fury. However like Synge's play, here again, the sea continues to wreak havoc, advancing into human habitations despite the pujas and the rituals.

The villagers in and around Pentha, Brahmanasahi and Satabhaya gram panchayats under Rajnagar tehsil kept on offering puja to the furious sea near Pentha and the Satabhaya coast. The puja is scheduled to continue for next couple of days.

"These parts are worst hit by sea erosion as mighty waves continue to batter human settlements triggering constant alarm. The belief etched in the minds of people is that worshiping the sea might tame the extent of erosion-induced damage," said Jagannath Das, a local resident.

Weary of danger staring at them, hundreds of local people thronged the puja site to pay obeisance to the sea god. Firm faith is that religious rituals of this nature would distract the sea from advancing into their areas.

However, the advancing sea seems not satisfied with that kind of Celtic paganism. The local people, too, perceive the danger.

As of now, the sea is getting restless. The sea water gets warmer as high tide lashes the villages. Low pressure and depression have become more frequent nowadays than it used to be a decade ago.

In the 1960s, the seven moderately populated villages wore the look of a lush green picturesque island. The economy of the area, encircled by sea water and mangrove vegetation, was rich with immense potential for agriculture and fishing.

The Basmati rice used to abundantly grow in these areas, and it had greatly augmented the local economy as the rice from these areas were much in demand in cities such as Cuttack. But with the sea eating into crop areas besides salinising the field, the Basmati cultivation has now become a thing of the past. "Roaring waves of mighty sea have literally changed the contours and geography of the area," recalled Das while reminiscing the hoary past - and of course, a tinge of hope in their religious rituals.