No litter, no smoking, no spitting: Odisha’s tribal village is attracting tourists for its cleanliness. But there’s more.

In a world where cleanliness is a hotly debated topic, a quaint hamlet in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha is redefining the meaning of civic sense with its attention to hygiene. Babojola, a nondescript village, advocates a litter-free environment where plastic is banned, smoking is prohibited and even spitting or chewing tobacco is forbidden. For the villagers residing in Babojola, cleanliness is not simply a rule but a way of living, a duty that every household follows quite diligently.

Cleanliness in Odisha village

According to a report by the Times of India, women sweep the village thrice daily and collect trash in bins, which are then cleared by the youth the following day. Nobody in the village consumes gutkha and plastic is nowhere to be found. Additionally, ‘no smoking’ signs are put up at every corner to raise awareness on public health.




The cleanliness drive was started 15 years ago by a local school teacher called Madhusudan Marandi, who wanted to transform Babojola into a model village. His philosophy was taken as a moral responsibility by the villagers, who formed a club to oversee the cleanliness procedures and collect funds for the installation of CCTVs, dustbins, and solar panels.

More details on Babojola village

Currently, about 70 Santal families live in Babojola, and their thatched houses are heavily inspired by nature. Interestingly, the walls of each house are beautifully decorated with colourful flower and leaf patterns, alongside animal and traditional motifs, a form of art known as Bhit Potaw in local parlance, by the womenfolk. All colours used in the illustrations are obtained naturally from riverside clay, stones, tree bark and flowers.

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During the Pataparba festival in February, the villagers paint their houses afresh and take part in the traditional song-and-dance repertoire propagating the idea of sanitation. CCTVs are installed throughout the hamlet to keep a check on visitors and tourists regarding whether they are littering the streets or not. Violators are asked to clean up or pay a fine.

How to reach:

By Air: Fly to Bhubaneswar airport and take a cab or bus to Mayurbhanj, followed by local transport to Babojola.

By Train: Baripada and Balasore are 2 of the nearest railheads from where you can take a local bus or a shared cab/jeep.

By Road: Arrive at Baripada and from there take a local bus, auto or any shared vehicle.