Bihan Mela

May 1, 2023

Bihan Mela is a unique festival celebrated by the Kondh tribe in Odisha’s Nayagarh district since 2019. Literally meaning “seed festival,” it is a celebration of the indigenous crops and varieties grown by the farmers in the region.

Participation in the Festival

The Bihan Mela festival is participated by farmers from as many as 40 villages in Dasapalla block of Nayagarh district. The farmers commence their preparations for the festival right after reaping their kharif crops, which consist of both hybrid and native kinds of paddy, millets, maize, and sorghum. The festival is usually held on a designated day in December.

Women at the Helm of the Festival

Women play a crucial role in the Bihan Mela festival. They carefully collect seeds of the indigenous varieties and store them in earthen pots. These pots are then decorated with red and white motifs and placed in a bamboo basket. Women carry the baskets on their head to the village where the fair is being organized, accompanied by men beating drums and other traditional instruments.

Nirman Initiative

The seed festival was initiated by Nirman, a non-profit organization working with the tribe on forest rights and agro-ecological farming. It was implemented to support farmers in reverting back to their conventional farming practices, such as mixed-cropping. These crops, which are naturally resistant to pests and well-suited for the region’s climate, were abandoned post the Green Revolution.

Seed Bank to Facilitate Access to Indigenous Seeds

To facilitate access to indigenous seeds, Nirman set up a seed bank in Raisar village in 2019. The bank works on a simple premise: collect and preserve indigenous seeds from across Kondh villages and lend them out to farmers. Under this initiative, the farmers have to return double the quantity of seeds or two different seed varieties within the first year of cultivation. The seed bank now boasts of 62 varieties of paddy, four varieties of millets, five varieties of pulses, and eight vegetables. The bank has benefitted 750 families so far, and Nirman plans to open three more seed banks in the region.

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