BALASORE: With soaring mercury, it’s business time for tribal women selling handia (rice beer) here.
These days, the NH-5 and other State highways are dotted with handia kiosks put up by these tribal women.
Considered to have cooling effect, the drink is a good source of income for tribal women.
Traditionally, handia has been considered as a drink for the tribals. Besides, it is treated as a health drink by them.
In recent times, the drink has increasingly made its presence felt among the poor and labour class during summer.
The tribal women, who are in the business of making and selling handia, said they are selling nearly three pots of the drink daily.
“Each pot contains at least 20 litres of handia. We sell it at Rs 10 a litre. The business fetches good returns during summer as people other than our community also consume it,” said Raimani Marandi, a tribal woman.
The drink is prepared from rice water. The water is first cooled and then bakhar - a mixture of dried rice power and medicinal roots - is added to it. It is then poured in an earthen pot and left for three days to ferment.
Though handia business fetches extra income for these women, shortage of roots that are used in preparing bakhara, has put them in trouble.
Earlier, they were collecting it from forests, but now they have to grow it in their agricultural fields.
Though tribals claim the drink has medicinal properties, doctors dispute it. “Handia creates toxic elements within the human body which is not good for health. Though it gives cooling effect, it affects your health in the long run,” said physician Santanu Das.