The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : For them it’s a health drink

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 12, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

For them it’s a health drink

D. Chandra Bhaskar Rao

The liquor prepared in the tribal households
is in fact most the sought-after

Tribal women taking a sip of the home- brewed liquor at a tribal shandy in Chintoor in Andhra Pradesh.

BHADRACHALAM: Distilled with the mouva flowers and often flavoured with herbs and nutrients, “Ippa Saara” – the liquor of the home brew variety, is part of the tribal life. It has a socio- religious significance as well. And hence the women too enjoy a greater freedom to drink. Of course it is strong enough to set the mood for the evening when the tribal belles render colourful performances in the forest habitations welcoming their men on their way back with their bows and arrows after a hard day hunting.

“It is pure like the Koyas. It will not cause any harm. For that matter, it will have a revitalising effect on our health”, says Sode Lakshmi while sharing with her village women the last few glasses of liquor left out unsold at the state’s largest tribal weekly shandy in Chintoor.

“Our community has a strong drink culture. So was the tradition of brewing. We just prepare for our domestic consumption. We go out and sell it only in the shandies in the lean season to procure our weekly quota of salt and oil, she quipped.

The liquor prepared in the tribal households is in fact most sought after. The greedy traders from the plains sell five onions for six rupees in the shandy. But in turn make beeline for the strong liquid and fetch it at Rs 5 a glass (about 120 ml). After all they pay back in the same coin.

The liquor made of Mouva is sacred. It is part of the offerings made by the community to the village deities during the festivals. The Mouva drink of finer quality is gifted to friends and relatives. The non-tribal communities also have of late taken to brewing in the forest fringes thus drawing attention of the excise personnel.

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