With more and more people taking the organic route, there’s a spurt in organic bazaars in the city. Usually held on Sundays, these bazaars also provide a platform for farmers to sell their wares directly to customers, without middlemen. A marked change in lifestyles and an increased focus on health and wellness is drawing more people to organic products. Here’s another chance to say ‘no to chemicals’ with Saampradaya Santha, a platform for farmers and weavers being launched in the city. This is organised jointly by Aruna Yoga Institute along with Rotary International District 3150 and Rotaract District 3150, this santha.
Ramana Deverakonda, charter president of Rotary Saampradaya, calls it another effort towards a good cause. “It is an attempt to help the deserving farmers and weavers,” he says adding ‘Saampradaya’ meaning ‘Traditional’ is the core of the fare. “We want this to continue like a tradition and will not dilute in the form of retailers entering into it. Participating farmers should bring only organic and environmental produce here.”
The team collected a farmers’ database from Mulkanoor Co-operative Bank in Warangal. “We requested the bank’s chairman Praveen Reddy, a former MLA to help us identify the farmers and weavers. Farmers from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh will participate in this santha. We plan to increase stalls gradually so that farmers and weavers of other states can also participate.”
The inaugural exhibition will have 20 stalls, and from next month, around 50 stalls are expected to be up. The Santha will be organised on second Sundays of every month. Ramana recalls his visit to Deverakonda village last month. “We met two families of the farmers who have committed suicide. They are struggling, with 23-year-old girls taking care of other children in the family without any support. We plan to help them with grocery, food and education and we also hope to extend our support to more families.”
(Saampradaya Santha will be organised at The Aruna Yoga Centre, Road No.44 Kavuri Hills on August 11)