CUTTACK: For the first time this year, indigenous manual oil extractor, popularly called 'Ghana', has found a place in Baliyatra fair. In the modern world which has witnessed mushrooming of oil mills, the indigenous machine has become a hit among the visitors.
People are making a rush to not only explore the oil extractor but also avail pure edible sesame, mustard and almond oil.
While the traditional 'Ghana' is on the verge of extinction, the Cuttack Mahanagar Tailika Baishya Samaj has attempted to popularise it at the Baliyatra fair. The body distributed sesame oil to more than 600 people free of cost on the opening day of the fair.
Prasant Kumar Prusty (28) of Chainpur village in Dhenkanal district has set up his Ghana at the fair. Prasant has engaged two bullocks for pulling the instrument for extracting oil manually.
Prasant said he adopted the profession from his father. Despite modernity, many in Chainpur have taken up the traditional hereditary profession of extracting oil manually through Ghana, he informed.
A few years back, there were more than 25 Ghanas in the village. However with the passage of time, some have shifted to other profession. At present, there are only four to five Ghanas left in the village, said Prasant.
At least three litre of edible oil can be extracted from manual grinding of about seven kg of sesame, mustard and almond seeds. Unlike the edible oil available in market, the oil extracted in Ghana is pure, he said.
''We are selling sesame and almond oil at `240 per litre and mustard oil in the range of `240 to `260 depending upon the two qualities of mustard seeds,'' Prasant said and added that a large number of customers is showing interest for these products.
Kamala Kanta Swain, a resident of Berhampur, said he has purchased two litres each of sesame, mustard and almond oil for household use as there is no adulteration in the process.