What makes Mahua the most popular tree in Central India

The best way of slipping into the heart of a place is by becoming a part of its culture. Coinciding with the brief window of Mahua flowering, this year across our lodges in Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Pench, and Satpura, we made the festival of Holi a grand affair, by organizing a week-long program we referred to as the Mahua-Holi Fest. The said period offered a perfect opportunity for our guests to experience the local tribal life, like never before. 

What is Mahua Tree and why is it important for the tribes?

Also known as the Indian Butter Tree, it is considered to be one of the most useful trees in the tribal belt of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Jharkhand for cultural and economic reasons.

They are valuable for many reasons. Seeds from the fruit produce oil that serves as a source for cooking, lighting oil lamps, manufacturing soaps and cures skin ailments whereas dried flowers can be used to make pickle.

An oily substance is extracted from their seed kernels which is further processed and refined and is called Mahua Butter. The tree is considered sacred by the local tribals and form part of many of their rites and rituals.

Mahua (madhuca indica) is nothing less than a boon to the Adivasi community living close to our lodges. Mahua flowers are not just of cultural significance to tribal belts, but also the fulcrum of their economy. The mood is festive in large tracts of forests and lands of central India as Adivasi communities gather the mahua flowers, which not only spread their heady fragrance but also smile as a bountiful harvest means prosperity to the tribal people. 

The flowers drop in March and April before dawn and are then gathered up by the locals. These flowers are fermented to make coarse, strong-smelling popular country brew or liquor.

This provides a source of income and living for the locals. Moreover, the succulent creamy-white Mahua flowers are edible and provide a source of nutrition for the tribal people who eat these flowers either raw or after sun-drying them.

Mahua Holi Fest with Pugdundee Safaris

To celebrate the rich cultural importance, a week-long program was curated across our lodges to pay tribute to this long-standing human-nature integration and celebrate the miraculous Mahua flower, by bringing alive its goodness and giving our guests a chance to immerse in the fervor. 

To make the celebrations unforgettable, chefs across our lodges curated special recipes to add to the regular lodge menus. Our guests experienced authentic tribal living by getting a taste of regional food & dishes inspired by Mahua.

Guests were also given a chance to indulge in the ongoing village activities like early morning mahua flower collection with the locals, visiting the tribal markets, and trying their hand at brewing Mahua the local way.

Our bars were well stocked with Mahua to ensure guests had a joyful week and the bartenders creatively experimented with a variety of mocktail & cocktail drinks. The lodges went ahead and creatively came up with combinations that not only tasted good but also bowled our guests over through their presentation.

To make the celebrations even more special, cultural performers were invited to give guests a glimpse of the local traditions. The guests didn’t hesitate to join in the celebrations & moved a leg or two to immerse in the rhythm.

This was an attempt to celebrate the cultural treasure of our local villages and salute the efforts of villagers who continue to safeguard their ancestral heirloom.