RANCHI: Punia Xalxo, 31, from Susai Maria Toli under Mandar Block in Ranchi earlier used to brew liquor from Mahua at her home to support her family. But now, she has started making laddoos and cakes out of the very Mahua.Torang Trust trains tribal women to make laddoos out of the Mahua flower, instead of using it to brew liquor.
Notably, Mahua is a tree found in abundance in the forests of Jharkhand. Despite health benefits and medicinal values, it has become a curse for the tribal society as its flowers are used in almost every tribal village to brew country-made liquor, leading to drinking menace among the tribal households.
Mahua is now being used for making laddoos, cakes, pickles, jelly, and various other edible products.Punia started making Mahuva laddoos in 2017. “Earlier, it was difficult even to fulfill day-to-day household requirements through brewery business, but after I started making laddoos from Mahua, my income has increased manifold,” she says.
It has not only made her self-dependent, but has also relieved her from the ogling and comments by men coming to her house for drinking liquor, she says.
She is also inspiring other women to adopt the business and has also trained hundreds of women living in 12 villages in the neighbourhood. Currently, a group of 40 women are associated with her in making different products of Mahua like laddoos and earning up to `2 lakh by producing around 500 kg of the sweet.
Another woman, Sarojini Minz (45) from Mandar village under the same block, said, “Over the last few years, gradually the demands for Mahua laddoo has increased so much that we find it hard to fulfill it.”
Giving dignity to women
According to Torang Trust president Vasavi Kiro, the initiative is not only helping tribal women become self-dependent but also helping in the eradication of alcoholism among the tribal society. “Over 1,000 women in four villages under Mandar Block are engaged in collection, processing, production and marketing of laddoo,” she said.