Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
In an attempt to promote self-employment and to protect the tradition of use of pattal (leaf plate), the district administration has started serving langar (community kitchen) in pattals of taur-leaves at the revered Tara Devi Temple in Shimla on Sunday.
The administration is also planning to introduce these pattals in all other religious places and shrines, including Hanuman Mandir at Jakhu Hill, etc. “To preserve our culture and heritage and maintain a balanced environment, langar is being served on plates made from taur leaves at Tara Devi Temple. Under the National Rural Livelihood Mission, overseen by the District Rural Development Authority, the task of making these plates has been assigned to the Saksham Cluster Level Federation operating in the Sunni block. They were given an order to produce five thousand plates in the first phase,” Shimla DC Anupam Kashyap, said.
He said that the district administration is making all efforts to strengthen the rural economy and promote employment opportunities for self-help groups. The federation has over 2900 women engaged in making plates, but due to low demand, they did not produce much. Now, the administration has decided that langar will be served on green leaf plates in all temples of the district, starting with Taradevi Temple in the first phase. He added that leaf plates decompose within three days when buried and people can use them as fertilisers as well.
The plates are made using leaves of mostly three species such as Bauhinia vahlii (Taur), Ficus roxburghii (Tremal) and Shorea robusta (Sal). Pattal making is a small Income Generating Activity (IGA) practiced at household level by landless rural poor, marginal or small farmers as a livelihood option in the state.
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
