Vokkaliga group working on GI tag for ragi mudde

In a move to promote and rebrand their food, a few members of the Vokkaliga community are working towards getting a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for ragi mudde oota. They will also be hosting a three-day event during the weekend to promote their food and culture.  

The Vokkaligas are a community from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Nandeesh Gowda, president of First Circle Society which is promoting the community’s culture, highlighted the staples of their cuisines. Ragi mudde and soppina bassaru (curry made with greens and lentils) and nati koli curry (country chicken curry), “contain the right amount of nutrients essential for hardworking people like agriculturalists’’, he said. Talking about seeking a GI tag, Nandeesh said, “It will take around six months for it to come through.”

Boost to culture

Nandeesh believes it is important to boost entrepreneurship within the community. “Our community has good doctors and engineers but not many entrepreneurs. We want to help uplift businesses,” he added.

A three-day expo, ‘Udyami Vokkaliga’, will house 84 stalls of which 12 will be food stalls. Bharathi Shankar, president of the expo, said, “The stalls will sell ragi mudde, dosa, mutton kaima, naati koli and millet-based dishes in a bid to raise awareness about our cuisine.” 

The expo will also promote ‘Moodalapaya yakshagana’ (a folk art form native to districts in eastern and northern Karnataka, which is different in presentation and costumes from yakshagana performed in Uttara Kannada and Shivamogga). It is said to have originated in the Vokkaliga community, according to Bharathi.

Stalls from sectors like health, education, real estate, startups, entertainment, and social entrepreneurship, will also be present.

The event will also include the launch of two online platforms — FC Next and FC Buy. Nandeesh added: “The first one will be a member-based platform, which will record all information connected to First Circle meetings and references, and allow sharing of dashboards during meetings. The second one will be a platform that local vendors can access for free, and promote and sell their products at.”

The organisers expect a footfall of 20,000 people across the three days of the event. 

Udyami Vokkaliga, from January 19 to 21, 10 am to 9 pm, at Gayathri Nivas, Palace Grounds. Entry free.