Marla Dillemma was preparing the traditional offering for Paathara—an ancestral practice of grain storage observed by farmers along the banks of the Mahendratanaya River in the Uddanam region of Srikakulam district, near the Andhra Pradesh–Odisha border. In Odia, the Paathara tradition is known as Khoni—a storage pit in which freshly harvested grains, mostly paddy, are stored. The tradition flourished in this inland, hilly terrain as high moisture levels in coastal soils could spoil grain stored underground. But, if the Paathara tradition disappears, we cannot borrow rice for Talambraalu. While emphasising the importance of Paathara, Ms. Dillemma warned that in our pursuit of modern storage facilities, we risk losing the flavours our ancestors cherished forever.