Submitted by Sarah Bailey on Fri, 28/02/2020 - 13:57
Food festivals represent an important part of tribal food culture. They are an opportunity to celebrate food heritage; by sharing this heritage with the wider world there is scope to build economic prosperity in often forgotten about villages. Here, Dr. Rekha Bisht Sirola, TIGR2ESS Flagship Project 6 Post-doctoral research associate, from IIT Bombay, Mumbai, shares the rich cultural experiences on offer.
The hilly and undulating terrain of Sahyadri cut deep ravines and valleys which form important forest pockets of the Sahyadri ranges. Kalsubai forest region is a significant part of one such pocket in the Western Ghats and is home to the highest peak in Maharashtra i.e. Kalsubai (1646m), often referred to as the Everest of Maharashtra.
One of the IIT Bombay study sites for TIGR2ESS happens to be the picturesque villages of Jahagirdarwadi and Udadwane in Akole tehsil of Ahmednagar district. These villages lie at the base of the Kalsubai peak. Rugged topography with series of tablelands and hills of various heights presents a mesmerizing view of the lush greenery that imparts natural bliss to the tiny villages.
Mahadeokoli and Thakar are the main tribal communities in the area whose main sources of livelihood is agriculture and rearing livestock like cattle, goats, and poultry. Landless and marginal farmers majorly depend on the forest resources to meet their livelihood needs.
The forest has always been an important natural resource that occupies a vital place in tribal life for worship, food, culture, and employment. The tribals have a very strong spiritual connection with the forests as seen in the sacred groves (Deoraies) named after various deities – Kalsubai, Bhavaidevi and Marutiban.
The forest has always been an important natural resource that occupies a vital place in tribal life for worship, food, culture, and employment.
Despite inaccessibility, poor infrastructure, sparing electricity and communication networks, villagers, along with NGO Sourabh Gramvikas Bahuddeshiya Pratishthan, organize an annual forest food festival aimed at attracting tourists. This time, we offered to be partners in organizing it.
Such celebrations give visibility to forest foods which are a part of the lives and identities of the tribals. The dishes prepared have evolved around forests and are well suited for the local climate. The food is natural and nutritious, cultivated or otherwise. The simplicity of ingredients and ease of cooking methods are the mainstays.
Food festivals are a great way to mingle with locals and learn about their food and culture, and taste local delicacies. These festivals are fast becoming an epicentre of the tribal foods revival movement. Tribal food enthusiasts from all over the state took part in the festival.
These festivals are fast becoming an epicentre of the tribal foods revival movement.
On display were the indigenous varieties of millets and various ways to prepare them - idli, dosa, khichdi, fritters, millet noodles, biscuits, and sev. There was much information on offer, informing stakeholders about millets and the products that can be made from them. Bhalu Bhau, a local farmer who has taken up organic cultivation of indigenous but forgotten varieties of millets, rice and pulses exhibited the gene bank of 120 varieties of millets alone.
This was an opportunity for the villagers from nearby areas to sell their seasonal produce of vegetables like lauki, kaddu, varai amongst many others. The menu was elaborate, consisting of the most aromatic Kala bhaat, moringa curry, varai and baingan sabzi with hot ragi rotis. The dessert included millet kheer and hot Puran polis, a traditional Maharashtrian delicacy.
Pickles of karvanda fruit, which is a sweet, juicy berry and is abundant in the region is a staple with all the meals. Many wild tubers were boiled to remove their toxic substances and then mixed with jaggery transforming them into delicious foods.
The festival provides a platform, particularly for the tribal women to celebrate diversity and tradition. They participate with great vigour and in equal measure with the male members of the community. Despite their problem of communication, it is encouraging to see that they are coming forward to register themselves as a ‘guth’ (women only group) with a greater commitment to the welfare of the community.
The festival provides a platform, particularly for the tribal women to celebrate diversity and tradition. They participate with great vigour and in equal measure with the male members of the community.
Small entrepreneurs from regions as far as Nasik had put up stalls to showcase their products. The range of products was astounding: affordable sanitary napkins, cold-pressed oils, and decorative items made from forest produce like baskets, dried gourds with beautiful Warli paintings. Tourists were drawn to purchase these articles.
The NGO organized an interesting, simple and fun activity – city visitors were invited to sign up to a Kalsubai trek. This nature trail was called “From confusion to clarity”, highlighting the serenity of the forests to provide some quiet time away from the demands of daily life. On the way a guide, usually a villager, identifies the flora and fauna and explains their significance. These treks have become an important source of income for the villagers.
We also invited students from the region who have taken part in our school-based knowledge intervention about the importance of healthy, local and seasonal foods. It gave us immense pleasure to see the students identify the wild and cultivated varieties prevalent in the region and describe how these foods can contribute to wellbeing.
Tribal populations have limited exposure to new technologies, therefore they are educated through constant one to one interaction. This was one such occasion, where the villagers were briefed by experts in the latest technology for water harvesting, watershed development, soil testing and cropping patterns for economic gains in the changing climatic scenario.
Representatives from the UN body “Doctors without borders” encouraged the villagers to approach them without any hesitation for medical issues. Mr. Sampat Waghchoure, a septuagenarian from the village, added to this by sharing his experience to attain a disease-free life by consuming local and seasonal foods. He also shared stories of the rituals and taboos associated with food.
The day ended on an upbeat note with a lively folk song and dance performance by the members of the Thakar tribe creating an intoxicating atmosphere.
The tribal food festival is much more than the gastronomical extravaganza on show. It is a way of sensitizing people towards nature.
The tribal food festival is much more than the gastronomical extravaganza on show. It is a way of sensitizing people towards nature. It is an amalgamation of diverse yet connected aspects of tribal life such as agriculture, sustainable development, herbal medicine, climate change, forest conservation, art, culture, folklore and a sense of belonging to a community. Such festivals help in creating public awareness that paves the way for progress.
Next time, as you exit the city limits for some soul searching, or detox in some fancy spa, consider heading towards these mesmerizing isolated mountain villages instead. They will surprise and delight you with their simple lifestyles and spectacular cliffs abundant with flora and fauna. Paying a visit to these magical places would boost not only the local economy but also the confidence of the locals.