A vibrant one-day event titled Mahua Mitra

Palamu: A vibrant one-day event titled “Mahua Mitra Mahua Festival” was organized under the shade of mahua trees in the Chhipadohar Range of Palamau Tiger Reserve. The festival aimed to strengthen rural livelihoods, revive traditional knowledge, and promote value addition of mahua among local communities, especially women. The highlight of the event was the enthusiastic participation of rural women, who showcased both traditional and innovative mahua-based products. Alongside age-old recipes, new products such as mahua laddoos, biscuits, chocolates, cakes, latha, and mahua khoa were prepared and displayed. The workshop served as a platform for learning, experimentation, and understanding the diverse possibilities of mahua as a nutritious and marketable product. This initiative is rooted in a significant improvement in mahua collection practices. Earlier, mahua flowers would fall directly onto the ground, often getting contaminated. Collecting them was time-consuming and labor-intensive, and during peak seasons, children were sometimes pulled out of school to assist. Additionally, harmful practices like burning dry leaves to ease collection posed risks to forest health. With the intervention of Palamau Tiger Reserve and support from JHAMCOFED, collection nets were introduced beneath mahua trees. This simple yet effective solution ensures clean, food-grade mahua collection. It has reduced collection time drastically—from hours to just 5–10 minutes—while also allowing children to attend school regularly and significantly reducing forest fire incidents. The event was jointly organized by WildHarvest and Palamau Tiger Reserve.
Dignitaries present included: Prajesh Kant Jena, Deputy Director (North), Palamau Tiger Reserve, Abhinav Mishra, Managing Director, JHAMCOFED, Chandrashekhar Kumar, Marketing Manager, JHAMCOFED, Rishabh Kumar, Founder, Wild Harvest. Local village heads, Eco-Development Committee members, forest staff, and community members also attended in large numbers. The “Mahua Mitra – Mahua Festival” stands as a strong example of how collaborative, community-led initiatives can drive sustainable livelihoods, improve education outcomes, and contribute to forest conservation.