Bhubaneswar: A 15-day-long Adivasi Mela-2019 kicked off Saturday at the Idco exhibition ground here.
With around 180 stalls which are again sub-divided into seven categories like Adivasi Village, Adivasi Haat, Food stalls, dance area, tourism site and handicrafts zone, the fair has grabbed the eyeballs.
The Mela, inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, has allured the visitors with its colourful huts where kitchen accessories, vegetable gardens, lanterns, livestock such as chickens and goats, are on display.
It may be mentioned here that the youngsters are very eager to pose for selfie at the fair.
Tribal products like natural juice, turmeric, honey, ragi, bajra, clothes, colourful jewellery, home decors and not to forget the newspaper in Santhali language, have really enticed the customers.
Visitors are going gaga over rice-made fritters.
The sole ATM on the ground’s premises was witnessing serpentine queues with stalls going out stock within a few hours.
Manoharini Jyostna, a resident of Phulnakhra said, “Like every year, this year too it is grand in every way. You can’t miss to skip even a single one. I have come here to buy some home-made pickle which is not available in the daily market.”
Last, but not the least is the food stalls where Baripada’s Mudhi-Mansa meaning mutton curry and puffed rice, is attracting all the foodies. Especially the chicken kheeri or chicken pudding is tickling the visitors’ tastebuds.
Not only the Bhubaneswar residents but also foreign tourists are taking a huge interest in visiting the mela.
Robert Hans from USA felt that it is a “beautiful amalgamation of old and new.”
Tribal fair proves a huge hit
