Bhubaneswar: The Ayurvedic system of medicine is an integral part of the age-old Shree Jagannath culture, according to Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Home, Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Shri Satyabrat Sahu.
Inaugurating the 18th State Level Kalinga Herbal Fair – 2025-26, Shri Sahu highlighted that the system is closely associated with Odia culture and tradition. He noted that like Kerala, Odisha has ample opportunities for Ayurvedic treatment due to its continuous forest growth. To capitalise on this, the State Government is taking various steps through the Odisha State Medicinal Plant Board (SMPB).
ACS Shri Sahu emphasised the need for public cooperation and awareness, stressing that Ayurvedic treatment has no side-effects. He also pointed out that Odisha is a storehouse of natural resources, and medicinal plants are widely used in the Shree Jagannath culture. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, the popularity and demand for Indian Ayurvedic medicine and medicinal plants are increasing steadily.
The ACS stated that farmers, self-help groups (SHGs), Van Suraksha Samitis (VSS), and other social organisations can benefit from the government’s emphasis on increasing production and cultivation of medicinal plants. He added that the State Government has provided all kinds of facilities, arrangements, and concessions for this purpose.
The inauguration ceremony was also graced by Shri Suresh Pant, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of The Forest Force, PCCF (Nodal) Dr. K Murugesan, and other senior officials.
Shri Karthick V, Chief Executive of the Odisha State Medicinal Plants Board (SMPB), announced that SMPB is organising the 18th State Level Kalinga Herbal Fair – 2025-26 from December 10-16, 2025, at the IDCO Exhibition Ground, Unit-III, Bhubaneswar.
Since 2008, these Herbal Fairs have been a highly successful platform for all stakeholders related to medicinal plants, including VSS members, cultivators, Vaidyas, primary gatherers, traders, researchers, students, forest officials, NGOs, SHGs, and the general public.
The fair hosts 130 stalls with the participation of over 260 stakeholders from across Odisha and beyond. Additionally, three Regional Kalinga Herbal Fairs will be organised this year at Rairangpur, Keonjhar, and Malkangiri, to be conducted by the respective Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs).