Bhubaneswar, Jan. 27: A lot of foreigners are thronging the Adivasi Mela, under way on the Adivasi Exhibition Ground here, to have a fair glimpse of the lifestyle of tribal people.

The 15-day event, which started yesterday, not only offers the unique products produced by the tribals, but also showcases their culture and their daily life.

Hosted by the scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST) development department, the fair has already witnessed a good footfall of European and American tourists in the first two days. A market area in the exhibition, where various tribal products have been put up for sale, has been a special attraction for the foreigners. Spices, herbs, tribal jewellery, handloom and crafts are some of the most sought after items by the visitors from abroad, said an organiser of the fair.

"So many lotions and juices of rare herbs are available here. I have collected a few. It is amazing to see this event so beautifully organised," said Alberto Personeni, a physician from Italy. Another Italian, Luciana Perini, said that though they had visited India five times earlier, this was their first visit to the state.

"The crafts are simply beautiful. Tribal artists are very skilled, specially when it comes to their jewellery and home décor items," said Luciana. "We had only four days here. So, we had thought we would be missing out on the famous tribal settlements of Odisha. But luckily, the fair has helped us meet people from tribal communities of this region at one place," she said.

Another team of 13 European tourists could not stop clicking pictures at the event. Sisters Marina and Antonella felt this was like a famous expo in Italy while Marie Helene Ridremont from Belgium loved the tribal dwellings and the items of daily use exhibited inside the huts.

For American tourist Nick Klepesch, the SC and ST Museum in the city was already fascinating while the Adivasi Mela was an extremely special experience.

"I have gathered plenty of pictures of the tribal model huts beautifully built here. The simple and nature dependent lifestyle of the tribal communities is very inspiring," he said.

About 30 Integrated Tribal Development Agencies (ITDA) have taken part in the annual fair that has 180 kiosks by self-help groups from tribal regions.

The traders are also finding it overwhelming to see the response of foreign visitors for their products.

The event is on until February 9.