Adilabad’s Mahua Laddus Become Popular After Modi’s Endorsement

Adivasis consider the Mahua tree and its flowers sacred and refrain from cutting it. The laddus, prepared using jaggery, sesame, cashew nuts, cardamom (yalakulu), and dried Mahua flowers (ippa puvvu), have become a sought-after nutritious delicacy in Telangana for their distinctive taste and quality.

Following the Prime Minister’s mention, demand skyrocketed, with online orders pouring in from Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, and Vijayawada. The local Mahila Sangam, which produces the laddus, is also supplying them to tribal hostels. Members of the Sangam expressed joy and pride over the Prime Minister recognising their work.

Kumram Bagu Bai, president of the Adivasi Bheem Bai Sahakara Sangam, which has 14 women engaged in making Mahua Laddus, said that daily counter sales had risen from 7 kg to about 60 kg since the Prime Minister’s remarks. “We now sell around 2,000 kg of Mahua Laddus every month,” she said, adding that the laddus are supplied to 60 government hostels across the erstwhile Adilabad district to improve students’ nutrition.

The laddus are sold under the brand Adivasi Aharam at ₹400 per kg, compared to ₹200 in 2019. Bagu Bai explained that production costs have increased because they began using higher-quality ingredients like cashew nuts, cardamom, and jaggery to enhance flavour and nutrition. The Sangam directly procures dried Mahua flowers from Adivasi farmers in nearby villages. “We purchased 100 quintals of dry Mahua recently, paying ₹50 per kg, to meet rising demand,” she said.

The popularity of the laddus has grown so much that passengers travelling in RTC buses and private vehicles often request drivers to stop near the Adivasi Aharam unit at Utnoor to buy them. Many customers are also gifting Mahua Laddus to relatives and friends.

Interestingly, while the Mahua flower was traditionally used to brew liquor among Adivasi communities, its use for that purpose has drastically declined over the past decade. Instead, the flower is now being used in preparing rotis, kudumulu (dumplings), and ambali (a traditional drink). Liquor made from Mahua is now mostly reserved for ritual offerings to tribal deities.

The Tribal Welfare Department has also recognised the laddus’ health benefits. As part of a pilot project in Adilabad, Mahua Laddus were distributed through Anganwadi centres to pregnant women suffering from anaemia. Officials reported a marked improvement in haemoglobin levels among women who consumed them regularly.

Recalling their early struggles, Bagu Bai said that people initially mocked the idea of Mahua Laddus and hesitated to buy them. “Some even said people would faint after eating them because Mahua contains a trace of alcohol and causes drowsiness,” she laughed. “The same people now buy them after learning about their nutritional and medicinal value.”

Bagu Bai also shared that she travelled by flight for the first time to Meghalaya, representing the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), to share her success story with women there.

Those interested in purchasing Mahua Laddus can place orders by contacting 9492369323.