City residents visit Adivasi mela to buy authentic tribal products

The Adivasi Mela 2021 that kickstarted on the Republic Day at Adivasi Exhibition Ground, provides a platform for tribal women to sell their produces. At the same time, this annual fair helps city residents get some authentic and unadulterated farm and forest products.

Though the Adivasi mela, this year, lacks the grandeur and razzmatazz of previous years due to the Covid-19 restrictions, it has not affected the enthusiasm among city people. In previous years, there used to be six-seven segments in the exhibition ground including display of tribal hurts, lifestyle and sale of tribal cuisines along with cultural programmes at the central stage.
“But this year, we have allowed only 90 stalls in one segment in the ground where tribal women self-help groups (SHGs) sell their products. This will be a big boost for these tribal women. We have also made this year’s mela a hybrid fair by going digital,” said Akhila Bihari Ota, member secretary, Academy of Tribal Languages and Culture (ATLC).
Annapurna Dipsani, a tribal woman from Koraput, said that there was huge crowd last year. But due to Corona, there are few people coming this year. “We hope more people will come in the coming days,” she said. Her team is selling mostly produces from the forest.
“We wait for this annual fair to buy some authentic stuff. I came to the mela today and bought some goods. I hope the fair will get back its old charm from next year onwards,” said Soumya Lenka, visitor.
As part of the precautionary measures, only 2000 visitors are allowed daily and people have to pre-register either through the website or near the gate. After they confirm their registration at the entry point, they are allowed inside. The officials and security forces keep vigil at the entrance and at every stall. The mela will continue till February 9.
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