The aromatic Kalajeera rice of Bhubaneswar’s Koraput district, which was granted Geographical Indication (GI) status in January, will now be a part of Puri Jagannath Temple’s ‘Mahaprasad’.
A 12-member team of tribal women left for Puri on Friday with one quintal of the rice after offering the baskets at Jagannath Temple in Koraput, known as Sabari Shreekhetra.
“The Kalajeera Rice will be offered as bhog to the sibling deities. This is an initiative to encourage the farming of the black rice variety,” said Prabhakar Adhikari of Jaivik Sri Farmers Producer Company Limited, the farm that grows Kalajeera rice in Koraput.
The Kalajeera rice, which the tribals of Koraput have been growing for generations, will later also be used to cook the Prasad or Bhog offered at Lingaraj and Ananta Basudev temples in Bhubaneswar, sources said.
Kalajeera rice, also referred to as ‘Prince of Rice’, is an aromatic rice variety grown in Koraput district’s Tolla, Patraput, Pujariput, Baliguda and Mohuli areas. According to the ancient text, Kalajeera rice improves memory and controls diabetes. It is believed to increase haemoglobin levels and the body metabolism. This fragrant grain has antispasmodic, stomachic, carminative, antibacterial, astringent and sedative properties.
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