Bhubaneswar: While people of the Capital city are flocking to Adivasi Mela to get a taste of local produce, people from all over the world are visiting the Adivasi Exhibition Grounds to witness and experience the traditions and culture of tribal people. Chironji seeds, popularly known as Charoli nut, Cuddapah almond, Calumpong, Hamilton mombin of the cashew family (Buchanania cochinchinensis) used in traditional medicines and many other herbal products used in skin care products and organic deodorants are attracting many youngsters as well as housewives. Aditya Mohapatra, an IT professional, expressed happiness after purchasing a bag full of traditional spices from stalls managed by tribal shelf help groups (SHGs) from Kandhamal. “I love to come to this event every year with my mom. We buy extra quantities to stock at home and use it for months as we wait for the next year to collect more items. I am happy that the tribal SHGs from interior pockets of the state are coming here despite challenging weather conditions and have opened their stalls for our convenience,” he added. Carlota Maso, who is from Spain and is currently working in a City-based NGO, Odisha State Volunteer and Social Workers Association, said, “I’m from a foreign land, but after coming here I could gather insights into culture, tradition, and practices of tribal communities and especially the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of the state. It’s a wonderful experience for me and my teammates.” Participating in the fair, Kasturi Kadraka from Maa Thakurani SHG under the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) in Rayagada said, “Since 2018, our organisation has been participating in the Adivasi Mela and during the fair, we have done business of over Rs 3 lakh and this year we are expecting more.” The SHG collects pepper, cinnamon, bay leaves, turmeric, types of millets, and other minor forest produce from tribal communities in hills around Chatikana under Bisamkatak blocks.
Several SHG groups from 22 ITDAs and 17 Micro Project Agencies (MPAs) for PVTGs from across the state are participating in Adivasi Mela this year. There are 66 stalls under the umbrella of ‘Tribal Haat,’ selling organic products, and 15 stalls under ‘Tribal Art and Craft’ with handcrafted products on offer. The Idital painting of Lanjia Saura, from Rayagada, which had received prestigious GI tag from the Registrar of Geographical Indications, Chennai, is also available for visitors to purchase. “We are committed to taking tribal products to global platforms and this time the Kapadaganda Dongaria Kondh Embroidered Shawl and Idital painting of Lanjia Saura have received international recognition and we will be adding more to the list in future,” said SC, ST Development, Minorities, and Backward Classes Welfare Department commissioner-cumsecretary Roopa Roshan Sahoo. Satyajit Das, another visitor said, “Apart from tribal products we are also lucky to witness the tribal and PVTG lifestyle through ‘Tribal Huts’ and our children enjoy it the most. We are very grateful to organisers and especially the Academy of Tribal Language and Culture (ATLC) for bringing us this annual event on tribal heritage of the state.”
