The three-day Grameena Santhe, organised by Grameena Santhe Okkoota, began at the Sri Narayanaguru Sabha Bhavan at Bannanje here on Friday.
Eco-friendly materials are on sale at the Grameena Santhe or rural market. Homemade food products such as Todedevu, made out of sugarcane juice and rice powder, ‘Vate huli,’ and Kadak jolada rotti are among the attractions, besides ‘happala,’ ‘sandige’ and virgin coconut oil. Several clothes and dress materials made of Khadi are also up for sale.
Another attraction is the Millet Food Festival complete with millet laddoos, millet masala and millet palak.
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Ice creams of jackfruit, mango, chikoo, coconut, guava and palmyra fruit are also available. Stalls from other districts are participating too.
Lainkaje Ramachandra, director, Grameena Santhe Okkoota, said farmers from surrounding areas would bring their vegetables to be sold here. It had held two such santhes in Dakshina Kannada. This was the first in Udupi. The next Grameena Santhe is being planned for Kundapur.
Earlier, inaugurating the santhe, K. Raghupati Bhat, MLA, said it was a good opportunity especially for manufacturers of homemade products.
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The Namma Bhoomi organisation based at Kanyana village in Kundapur taluk too had been promoting handicrafts and rural artisans through such fests. These fests went a long way in encouraging cottage industries, he said.