Huge crowds visiting Adivasi Mela to get indigenous herbal products, tribal art & crafts

Bhubaneswar: Several Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Micro Project Agencies (MPAs) of particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) in Odisha are participating in the Tribal Fair popularly known as Adivasi Mela here which is drawing huge crowds.

There are 66 stalls under the 'Tribal Haat' to sell organic products and 15 stalls under the 'Tribal Art and Craft' of the mela.

Not only tribal food products and household items, but the Adivasi mela also has stores for the Idital Painting of Lanjia Saura — from Rayagada district, which had received the prestigious GI tag from the Registrar of Geographical Indications, Chennai.

"We are committed to putting out tribal products on the global platform and this time the Kapadaganda Dongaria Kondh Embroidered Shawl and Idital Painting of Lanjia Saura have made it and we will be adding more to the list in future as many of our tribal products are unique", said SC, ST Development, Minorities, and Backward Classes Welfare Department, Secretary, Roopa Roshan Sahoo.

The fair which was inaugurated on January 26 will continue till February 5.

The tribal crafts include Lanjia Saura painting from Gunupur, Dokra art from Baliguda, wooden work from Thuamul Rampur, Santhal handloom products from Kaptipada, paddy art from Nabarangpur, pottery from Nabarangpur, Mirgan handloom from Jeypore, Gond art from Keonjhar, bamboo and cane handicrafts from Sundargarh, Sabai craft from Sureidihi near Baripada in Mayurbhanj district.

Apart from the tribal products, the visitors also get to see the tribal and PVTG lifestyle through 'Tribal Huts' and the urban children enjoy it the most, said Satyajit Das, a visitor.

Carlota Maso from Spain, who is working now at a city-based NGO, said "I am from a foreign land, but after coming here I could gather an insight into the tribal culture, tradition and practices of the tribal communities and especially the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of the state. It is a wonderful experience for me and my teammates".

Kasturi Kadraka from Maa Thakurani SHG of Rayagada said: "Since 2018 our organisation has been participating in the Adivasi Mela and during the fair a business of nearly Rs 3 lakh is done and this year we are expecting more." The SHG collects pepper, cinnamon (dalchini), bay leaves, turmeric, many types of millets and many other minor forest produce from the tribal communities, she said.

Gajabahini SHG's 'millet mixture' with its spicy content is also attracting buyers and the organisation from Tangarpalli block in Sundargarh district is hoping for a good business this time.

While Om Sairam SHG from Baliguda is showcasing traditional spices and grains, Sarba Mangala SHG from Betnoti in Mayurbhanj district is pulling the crowd for its quality herbal and skin-care products.

Aditya Mohapatra, an IT professional said he felt like entering into nature’s lap as he visited the tribal fair on Sunday.

Mohapatra purchased 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 and we take extra stuff to stock in our home and use it for months. I am also happy that tribal SHGs from interior pockets of the state are coming here despite challenging weather conditions and opening their stalls for our convenience. It is a great effort", he added.