DHARMAPURI: For a change, Sunday turned out to be a day of learning about healthy food, tradition and culture for over 200 people who took part in Tamilar Marabu Sandhai. Curated by a group of youth from Dharmapuri People's Forum (DPF), the shandy was organised at a private farmland in Bharathipuram with an aim to promote small-scale organic farmers and traditional art forms of the State.
Impact of changing lifestyle
"Even three decades ago, millets were prominently cultivated across the northern Tamil Nadu. In fact, it was the staple food in the district. Food habits changed with new lifestyles, eventually affecting people's health. Through this shandy, we wanted to bridge the gap between the rural and the urban lifestyle and make organic food easily available for the masses," said an organiser Umasankar.
Platform for direct procurement
This Sunday sandhai brings together over 30 local farmers to sell their produce directly to the consumers, said DPF member Bala. "Eliminating middlemen is our prime motive. This benefits both farmers and consumers, for healthy food is made available at an affordable price."
Vendor Senthilkumar finds this shandy an ideal platform for farmers who are not proficient in marketing their produce. "At a time when adulterated food is sold in the market at an exorbitant price, people have started consuming traditional and organic foods. If they are educated on the millets' health benefits, it will have more takers."
What more?
Besides, the group is also conducting workshops to teach people the art of making soaps and castor oil at home. "At the shandy, we also promote art forms like parai Isai, silambattam and oyilaatam, and reading habits. More people should visit the shandy in the coming weeks and benefit from it. Farmers from other districts are also welcome to sell their organic goods here," Umasankar added.
Items on sale
Horsetail, foxtail, pearl millets, finger millets; organic vegetables from local farmlands; coconut, gingelly and groundnut oil; books; traditional sweets like thinnai urundai and coconut barfi are some of the items on sale.