Glimpses of tribal life in Adivasi Mela in Odisha capital from Jan 26

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jan 25:

Preparations are on for Adivasi Mela beginning on Republic day for creating a slice of the simple tribal life in the heart of the capital city in Odisha. The fortnight-long annual tribal fair will continue till February 9.

Every year the Adivasi ground in the capital city hosts tribal men and women belonging to different communities who come from different parts of the state and are now busy constructing model huts on the ground.

The event hosted by the ST and SC Development Department to highlight tribal life, tradition and culture of the state that has as many as 62 tribes and 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) which is nearly one-fourth of Odisha’s population.

“There will be 29 typical traditional tribal huts built and showcased in the fair. These huts will portray the lifestyle as well as the daily usage items by the Adivasis,” said A B Ota, ST and SC Development Department director.

This year, the event will have over 170 stalls which will have different items for sale like turmeric, millet, moong dal, basmati rice, honey, brooms, barley.

The venue will be divided into various sections highlighting tribal arts and crafts, food, dwellings and lifestyle.

People can also get a taste of tasty tribal food, like Moodhi Manso, Paluo Kheer, Mandia Jau, Mandia Pitha, herbal juice and jhal matar among others.

The fair, which started from 2010, has become very popular down the years and has registered a steady rise in footfalls. Last year, more than 10 lakh people had visited the mela grounds. To attract more visitors, the department is aiming to make the Adivasi mela bigger and better this year.

The department has made several arrangements for the entertainment of the visitors. They can take the pleasure of cultural programmes from 6 pm to 9 pm. Every day, onlookers can enjoy 6 tribal dances. On January 30 on the occasion of Shahid divas, a devotional song programme will be organized.

With around 50,000 visitors expected to the Mela every day, the security aspect will be maintained by CCTV cameras in major points and watch tower to keep a track on suspicious activity. Information centre, police control room, check up centre, temporary fire station and fire extinguishers will also be set up.