BENGALURU:Once a poor man's grain, millets are making a comeback thanks to its health benefits. Come June 8 and the Lalbagh Millet Utsav will bring together a new-crop of millet sellers and enthusiasts at a three-day mela.
The mela with over a 100 stalls housing various types of millets, will see participants and visitors from Dharwad, Mysuru, Tamil Nadu, Andra Pradesh, Delhi and other parts of country. According to M H Sridhar Murthy from Grameena Kutumba, the main organiser of the mega event, the footfall last year was over 22,000 with business amounting to Rs 38 lakh. This year, they have raised the bar and are expecting 25,000 people and a turnover of Rs 50 lakh.
Millets at the mela will be available at what the organisers claim is the cheapest. For Rs 550, visitors can buy one kilo of five different kinds of millets - little millet, kodo millet, brown top millet, Barnyard millet, foxtail millet, in addition to one full meal. This combo also comes with the recipe book. "A kilo of five types of millets will be sufficient for a family of three members for one month. We are offering it as a hihly discounted price so that we can encourage people to switch to millets, as well as encourage farmers to grow this crop,'' says Murthy.
During the three-day mela, there will also be a training programme on growing millets in the backyard. "There are people in and around Bengaluru, who own half an acre to one-acre of land where millets can be cultivated. The training is also for urban farmers, who are interested in growing millets on their terrace. Our goal is to encourage more and more people to grow millets,'' he added.
Chefs will be present to teach interested visitors millet-based recipes, which will be followed by a cooking competition.A complimentary recipe book will be given to the buyers. The final day of the programme will host an interaction with Dr Khader better known as millet man of India.
The Millet Utsav will take place at Lalbagh at Marigowda Hall from June 8 to 10. For more details contact 42096984