Women throng Odisha Adivasi Mela for a slice of tribal delicacies

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Feb 3:

The Adivasi Mela (tribal fair) currently on in the Odisha Capital has proved to be a big hit among the women of the city, who flock to the venue in large numbers every evening to get a taste of tribal produces and experience tribal living.

The fair that began of January 26 and is scheduled to run till February 9 showcases a wide variety of forest produces, tribal delicacies and their great cultural heritage. The cultural programs organized every evening add to the excitement of lakhs of visitors who throng the fair every evening.

Forest products such as Kuchinda chilli, Chatikana turmeric, Putasingh peas, Mudulipada black pepper, Nabarangpur fragrant rice, Neem and Karanj oil made by the Lodha tribe and herbal tea stalls are the most popular ones among the visitors.

The city women are convinced about the products on offer at the Mela as no chemicals are used in producing or harvesting them.

Some of the stalls at the fair erected to give the visitors an experience of tribal living are proving to be quite popular. Foreign tourists, interstate tourists and local visitors are quite often seen getting photos clicked there.

Timbadedi of Kutia tribe, Sauntighar, Santal Ghar, Kirsan Ghar, Majang, Juang Kudia, Nishani Munda of Paraja tribe, Ho Ghar, Gadba Kudia, Koya Ghar, Selani Dingo of Bonda tribe and houses of Paudi Bhuyan tribes are the most popular ones. Representatives of tribes are seen guiding the visitors and answering their queries cheerfully.

The fair, organized near the busy Sishu Bhvan square of the city, causes huge traffic congestion every evening. The parking situation gets even worse as VIPs throng the festival every evening.

Many visitors express unhappiness over the parking arrangements and suggest that the fair be moved to a larger area with better infrastructure next time.