BHUBANESWAR: THE ONGOING Adivasi Mela at the Adivasi Grounds here is drawing in droves urbanites who are forced to lead a ‘synthetic’ life in cities and towns. The annual ethnic festival celebrating the lifestyle and culture of tribals, organised by State SC and ST Development Department, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on January 26. One of the most exciting annual fairs in the Capital, it is being hosted by the Government every year to highlight tribal life, tradition and culture of Orissa that has as many as 62 tribes sharing nearly one-fourth of the State’s population.
The exhibition has been set up like a tribal village where people get a chance to see the unique lifestyle of tribals, their indigenous practices and way of living. Official sources said the exhibition has been set up with a twin purpose of giving a feel of Adivasi life to the urban dwellers and providing tribals an exposure to the city life and a platform to market their products.
The Adivasi Ground has been transformed into a tribal village where community members of various primitive tribes of the State have built makeshift huts and houses showcasing their lifestyle. Each household has paddy fields exhibiting particular style of cultivation and irrigation techniques.
The venue has been divided into six segments that feature various facets of tribal life, culture and development. While one segment replicates the tribal villages, another gives glimpses of the haat (weekly market). Similarly, the third segment has stalls selling tribal products and the fourth showcases tribal food. The rest two are earmarked for tribal art and crafts and their dance and music.
While the model households are a huge draw for the visitors, many are visiting the Mela for the easy availability of forest products. Purest form of turmeric, Harida, Bahada, Shikakai, honey, mustard, pulses and spices grown by tribals from all districts are available at the Adivasi haat. “I come here every year particularly to buy these products because of their purity. What we get in the city markets are laced with chemicals so it is better to buy a year’s stock from these tribals,” said Shantilata Sahoo, a homemaker of Nayapalli.
The food stalls are also unique as the food products sold here are completely organic and grown without an iota of pesticide. Kinai, a member of Gond community who runs a stall, said: “Everything here, the ginger, turmeric, honey, rice have all been cultivated in the forest and collected directly from there.” He himself has to get the help of tribals who have no contact with the outside world to get some of the items like honey, Kinai says.
At the tribal art gallery, artists have portrayed the tribal aspect of life and themes through contemporary art. Apart from paintings, also on display are wood sculptures, black metal and Dokra crafts and tribal jewellery.
The event will be on till February 9 with tribal and other cultural programmes being held each evening. As many as 92 government and non-government organisations, including 21 Integrated Tribal Development Agencies (ITDAs) and eight special tribal development agencies, are participating in the fair.mdiana@expressbuzz.com