Jatka Bandi out of streets in East Godavari district

Rajamahendravaram: Jatka Bandi (horse drawn cart) has lost its past glory and sheen as many transport modes came into existence and with the changing tastes of people also.

Because of this, jatka bandis are disappearing slowly and the owners also switched to other works to get their livelihood. Earlier, jatka bandi is used in rural and semi-urban areas and in some areas, the people used to reserve jatka bandi for their travel.

And some rich people maintained their own jatka bandis as a ‘status’ symbol also. The patronage of jatka bandi came down drastically since a decade due to changing tastes of people, which thrown jatka bandi owners into financial problems and at present, they can be counted on finger tips.

A jatka bandi owner G Rama Rao of Kovvur, said that he is still having a jatka bandi and maintaining it as a sentiment, which was used by his father. The people are not showing interest to board jatka bandi due to availability of other modes of transport to reach their destinations without delay.

With this, the jatka bandi is being used to carry household goods, grass and cloth bales in rural areas. With meagre income of Rs 350-Rs 450 a day, the jatka bandi owners are switching over to other professions to meet their family expenditure, he averred. Meanwhile, the fodder grass and maize are also becoming costlier to feed the horse which also became a burden.

In good olden days, the people in rural areas used to come out from their houses hearing jatka bandi who is coming to whose house, he told. Some are maintaining four-wheel jatka bandis and lending it for marriages, other functions and getting some amount. Hardly there are only 50-75 jatka bandis in Rajamahendravaram, Kovvur and Nidadavolu areas and jatka bandi stands not seen now anywhere.