Bhubaneswar: The 15-day-long Adivasi Mela that started in the city on the Republic Day concluded on Friday.

People had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the culture, tradition and lifestyle of tribal people of the state at the fair.

This year, the fair garnered a business of seven crore. Members of about 62 tribal communities represented their lifestyles at the fair.

The Integrated Tribal Development Agencies erected model houses for showcasing the lifestyle of the tribal people. Also, micro projects replicating culture and architectural traits of the ethnic community were put in place.

Apart from Santhals, the houses of Lanjia Saura, Juangs, Kandha and Desia tribes were displayed at the theme pavilion show.

This year, the venue of the of the fair was changed from Adivasi Ground at Unit I to Exhibition Ground at Unit III.

The venue had to be shifted because of the rise in footfall at the fair and consequent traffic congestion near the Adivasi Ground, said an official.

The 15-day fair, which had started in Cuttack in 1951, is being held in Bhubaneswar since 1982. This time, around 145 kiosks showcased indigenous tribal products and 37 exclusive kiosks have been set up for display and sale of various handicrafts items made by the tribal communities.

A number of youngsters thronged the fair to get a glimpse of the tribal people, including Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG), who had come to the fair to create awareness about tribal people and their way of living.

Household articles such as mortar and pestle, broomsticks and utensils were a hit among the visitors. "The items were of good quality and not available in the urban markets, so I make it a point to visit this fair every year," said Archana Sabat, a 36-year old homemaker.

Rape cuffs

Police have arrested two college students for raping a friend and posting photographs of intimate moments on social media. The rape survivor was earlier close to one of the accused persons Manoj Nayak. The accused - Manoj Nayak and Bikash Mallick - were students of NSB Junior College at Tumudibandha.