In southern Odisha’s Koraput district, tribal communities like Paroja, Kondh, Gadaba, Kotia and Dharua have brewed ‘landa’ for centuries. The traditional alcoholic beverage made from ragi is intrinsically linked with their social and religious life.
“We drink ‘landa’ when a baby is born, to celebrate. And when someone dies, we drink landa to relieve our sorrow and remember them,” says Sunamani Paroja, 52, a woman from the Paroja tribal community in Kundra block under Koraput.
Traditionally, landa is considered auspicious and is offered to appease the gods for good fortune, a bumper yield and good health. No ritual is complete without the drink, she explains.
Landa is an essential component of various festivals celebrated by the tribal communities of Koraput, including Chait parab (or festival), Push parab, Liyakhai parab, Nua Khai and Deepavali.
Landa should be celebrated as a rich heritage, with its history, folklore, and cultural significance brought to the forefront.
During Chait parab, the festival of joy and harmony celebrated in April, Laxmi Hantal, 54, from Dasmantpur block in Koraput tells us, “We don’t go work on the farm or plough the fields. We sacrifice goats and country roosters to appease our gods. We wear new clothes and hold community feasts where we drink landa, sing ‘desia’ (folk) songs and dance ‘dhemsa’ to drum beats late into the night.”
Arjun Hantal, 59, Laxmi’s husband, underscores the role of landa in Chait parab celebrations, especially in the old days, when tribal men embarked on hunting expeditions during this period.
“Hunting wild boar, barking deer, and rabbit was an integral part of our customs,” he recalls. “They would be exhausted after the hunt and relieve their aches and fatigue by drinking landa.” However, with the government’s ban on hunting wild animals, the tribal communities in Koraput have abandoned this age-old tradition during festive occasions.
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Landa is generally brewed by women in their kitchens. Sunamani has been brewing landa for the last 25 years for her family. The process is meticulous, taking around eight days, she tells us.
First, ragi is soaked in water in an earthen pot for two days to germinate. After this, the seeds are kept in the sun dry for another two days. While 10 percent of the germinated seeds are kept aside, the rest is hand-pounded with a wooden mortar to make flour. This is left to soak and ferment in an earthen pot for four days, with flour and water in a ratio of 1:8.
At the end of this, water is drained from the pot. The mixture is boiled in an aluminium pot for an hour and then left to cool. The germinated seeds that were kept aside are ground and added to the mixture, which is allowed to ferment for another day. Finally, the mix is filtered. The landa is now ready to drink.
Earlier, landa was generally stored in an earthen pot, but aluminium containers are popular too, kept in a dark area of the kitchen.
Tribal communities drink landa anytime during the day or night, usually along with younger and older members of the family. “Traditional liquors like ‘mahuli’ made from mahua flowers and ‘handia’ made from fermented rice can be drunk outside the home. But landa is mostly consumed at home,” says Gori Chalan, a Paroja woman farmer at Litiguda village in Koraput.
Side dishes like bamboo shoot fry, small fish fry, red ant chutney and boiled field bean seed are relished with landa. If none of these are available, then salt and chili powder are also had with the drink, she adds.
“Landa has a short shelf life, making it impossible to bottle,” explains Laba Paroja, 70, Sarpanch at Kundri panchayat in Kundra block. It can be preserved for a maximum of two days in summer and three days in winter.
“It’s a bit bitter and after drinking it, after an hour, you will start feeling drowsy and intoxicated,” he adds. “Traditional alcoholic beverages made from sprouted ragi flour ensure greater retention of nutrients, moderate loss of minerals and are beneficial for health,” according to Dr. Debabrata Panda, Assistant Professor, Department of Biodiversity and Conservation of Natural Resources at the Central University of Odisha, Koraput.
Historically, traditional liquors like landa, handia, and mahuli, categorised as Indian Made Indian Liquor (IMIL), were banned during British rule. Koraput was no exception to this prohibition.
Paroja recalls, “We heard from our grandparents that brewing traditional liquor during British rule was risky. To evade prosecution, tribals resorted to brewing liquor deep in the forest.” Colonial laws such as the Bombay Abkari Act of 1878 and the Mhowra Act of 1892 were specifically designed by the British Raj to suppress the distillation and consumption of liquor derived from mahua flowers.
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Ladu Saunta, a 51-year-old farmer from Kinjariguda village, asserts, “The British portrayed traditional liquor drinkers as barbaric, uncivilised, and bandit peasants.”
Explaining how colonialism impacted local liquors, Dr. Panda says that during the British Raj, foreign liquor distillation, production and sale through licensed vendors significantly augmented the revenues of the colonial government. At the same time, traditional liquors were sidelined, with prohibition and hefty taxes imposed against the tribals. Over the years, this has downgraded the charm of traditional liquor in India.
Although selling IMIL or traditional liquor remains a challenge due to archaic laws around production, distribution and sale in the post-independence era, commercialisation was never a major motive for the tribals.
“Each family has inherited a unique style of brewing traditional liquor passed down from generations,” says Menkarani Hantal, 41, belonging to the Kotia tribe at Kinjariguda village in Laxmipur block.
“Tribals generally sell handia in the local weekly haat. But landa is not made for sale. It is reserved for family members, relatives and friends at local gatherings and ceremonies. During marriage, guests from both the bride and groom’s sides are served with landa,” she adds.
The commercialisation and sale of traditional liquors like landa raise concerns for the tribal communities, the original stewards of this indigenous knowledge system (IKS). Some believe that it could benefit their community, ensuring the inclusion of tribals in the value chain and recognising their IKS.
“The focus should extend beyond liquor sales,” suggests Joy Daniel Pradhan, a Delhi-based behaviour change expert from Odisha’s Rayagada district, who belongs to the Kondh tribe. “Landa should be celebrated as a rich heritage, with its history, folklore, and cultural significance brought to the forefront.”
Trinath Taraputia, a Koraput-based development professional working with Watershed Support Services and Activities Network, emphasises the urgent need for a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for landa made from ragi. He highlights landa’s rich history, distinctive characteristics, centuries-old preparation process, and deep-rooted cultural significance as strong grounds for GI status.
“GI certification will protect and promote the tribal community’s IKS, ensure that benefits flow back to these communities, and preserve local agrobiodiversity,” he points out.
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The lead image on top shows earthen pots holding landa, the traditional alcoholic liquor made from ragi. (Photo by Abhijit Mohanty)
Abhijit Mohanty is a Bhubaneswar-based independent journalist. For over 10 years, he has reported on sustainable food, health, livelihood, gender and climate change with a special focus on tribal and other marginalised communities in India and Cameroon.
