Vegetables on display at Adivasi Mela in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 28: The tribal regions of the state are well known for their forests. A number of herbal medicines, spices and other products that come handy for daily use are found in these forests. A wide range of such products brought by tribals of various districts, are pulling visitors to the Adivasi Mela, which is on at the Adivasi Exhibition Ground.

The products are being sold at a model tribal market known as tribal haat or adivasi haat, installed in a section of the ongoing fair. Forest products like turmeric, the medicinal harada, varieties of mustard, spices, grains and pulses grown by the adivasis are available at the haat. These are sold in their purest forms, without any chemical or factory treatment.

Then there is a large variety of pure honey. Collected by specific tribal communities of districts such as Kalahandi, the honey sold here, differs in colour, thickness and taste, depending on the forest they have been collected from.

Other commodities made by self-help groups at these tribal areas are also available at the haat. “Even a decade ago, we used to prepare and produce most of these eatables, herbs and spices for our own consumption. We used to sell off the surplus at our local haats. Now, we have been trained to pack them and sell them in nearby cities,” says Sikaka, a Dongria Kondh woman.

Some of the popular products at the adivasi haat of the fair include broomsticks, turmeric powder, tamarind, herbal juices and so on. “These products are pure and we can trust them. We do not get such quality in the city markets and thus it is good to buy the stuff here,” says Shailabhama Das, a homemaker.

Some popular crafts hand crafted by tribal artisans include beaded jewellery, metal tribal jewellery, Dongria Kondh shawls, wooden and mat crafts and showpieces. However, many visitors complain about the dilution of the products available at the haat, that include items like fryums, chips, soft toys and other rural crafts.

“These are available all year round in the city. It is surprising how they are included in the tribal haat,” says Gayatri Swain, a college student. “I wish there were more stalls selling typical tribal products,” she added. The fair has been organised by SC and ST Development Department and is on until February 9.