The other day I had an opportunity to visit the 'Adivasi Mela', the tribal festival with my friends. It was conducted with the joint venture of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI) and Academy of Tribal Language and Culture (ATLC).

Now, living in the twenty-first century amidst the din of the city life, glittering with the materialistic and pompous life, to meet simple, kind-hearted souls was something beyond our dreams. Unlike previous years the mela continued for a fortnight and thus drew thousands of eager people like a magnet.








Haat- The Weekly Market

The most interesting thing of this exhibition was the weekly market with the tribals, dressed in their traditional costumes selling various items. There were agricultural products like mandia (ragi), palua, sorisha (mustard), birhi (black gram), mooga dali (moong-dal), spices like red chili powder, haldi (turmeric), black pepper, cumin seeds, bamboo products like decorative items, household articles, teracotta items made up of clay, dokra items made up of brass, wax, non-toxic agarbatis, etc. were all selling like hot cakes. Who would like to miss the opportunity of buying pure things with any adulteration?

While solid and strong brooms found their place among the hearts of women, teenage and young girls were seen making a bee line for all those ethnic ornaments and decorative items.
Children were also fascinated to see the models of tribal people seen dancing, worshiping, gardening,etc. Foods cooked by tribals like modhi-mansa, various pithas, etc. drew all hungry and eager-to-taste-tribal-food customers.
The evening was marked with dances of the tribes of Bonda, Paudi Bhuniya, Gadaba, Oraon, etc. and songs and music. Thus this was one of the fun and joyful day of my life. At the end we were all rejuvenated and the magic spell of tribals had started. Our legs were unwilling to move return back to our sweet homes.