The 15-day annual tribal fair named as 'Adivasi Mela' commenced on Tuesday at Bhubaneswar's Adivasi Exhibition Ground for the year 2021. The ground will remain open for the public from 11 am to 7 pm every day till February 9. The organiser of the tribal fair, Guha Punam Tapas Kumar, told that the fair has been conducted annually since 1951 and is the oldest fair in the Indian Nation. "The Adivasi Mela exhibits lifestyle, artifacts, handlooms and handicrafts of the tribal of the Odisha under one roof," Kumar told reporters.
"Odisha plays an important role in the development of the scheduled tribes," she added. Due to Covid 19 fear and promoting cashless transaction, Self Help Groups are trained to use digital mode of payment and most of the SHGs are using Paytm. Kumar about the digital transaction of the Self help Groups (SHGs) said, "We collaborated with the local head-office of the Paytm and guided the SHGs and the producer groups for cash-less transactions".
Regarding controlling the footfall at the fair, she said that the fair organisers in cooperation with the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporations and the police have come up with plans to manage the footfall, thereby controlling the Covid-19 spread at the same time and ensuring the earnings of the tribals are not hampered. "We visit the fair every year. The products are sold here at a very reasonable price," Narayan Das, a visitor said adding that it is a very nice experience to visit the Adivasi Mela. Priti Patnayak, another visitor, states that she is visiting the fair to learn about the lifestyle of the tribals.
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