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"Mahua is not a tree, it's our way of life. If mahua survives, Munda survives.
But, alas, you know it only as low quality booze"

​

Natabar Singh Munda,

a Munda Adivasi in his mid-seventies​

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a bunch of mahua (madhuca longifolia) flowers - source of food, medicine, liquor, culture, livelihood
The same sentiment resonates among all the Adivasi communities of dry forests of India.
​Project Mahua is a humble attempt to explore the world of Mahua and her people.
Mahua: a keystone resource

  • 'Tree of Life' for central Indian landscape

  • A tree of immense cultural, ecological, and economic significance

  • Roots to fruits, every part is used

  • A vital source of nutrition and income for tribal communities

  • 7.5 million Adivasis directly depend on mahua. A huge population in itself, but likely a gross underestimation.
    > 75 million tribals live in mahua-growing regions

  • Impossible to imagine an Adivasi in this region without any association with mahua

Dependent communities

  • Gond, Santhal, Munda, Kol, Bhil, Baiga, Oraon, Bhumij, Ho, Kharia and many many more

Vast spread across India

  • All around Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha;

  • Parts of West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh;

  • Arid regions of Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh;

  • Also in Kerala, Tamil Nadu

A Mahua tree with its lush foliage. Its role for forest and people is undeniable. But lack of credible info undermines mahua.

Sustainability threats

  • Population is declining due to land-cover changes and reduced economic value

  • The species is highly sensitive to climate change

  • Long-term demographic instability —low seedling density, weak young populations, and poor regeneration—often goes unnoticed

Mahua needs ATTENTION

  • Scientific names:
    Madhuca indica, 
    Madhuca longifolia

  • Common names: 
    maatkum, mohul, mahua, mahuwa, mahura, mawa, illuppai, ippa-chettu

  • Habitat: Tropical deciduous forests

  • Policies fail to ensure fair prices for mahua collectors or secure livelihoods for tribal distillers

  • Archaic laws are used to exploit naïve Adivasi mahua collectors

  • Weak conservation efforts and limited academic attention further threaten its sustainability

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