Shimla: Turning a new leaf at Tara Devi temple

Shimla, July 14

To preserve the culture and heritage of the state, the district administration today started serving langar (community meal) in plates made from ‘taur’ leaves at the historic Tara Devi temple.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Anupam Kashyap said under the National Rural Livelihood Mission of the District Rural Development Authority, the responsibility of making these plates had been given to capable cluster-level federations working in the Sunni region.

“They were tasked with producing 5,000 plates in the first phase” he added.

The DC said the district administration was making comprehensive efforts to strengthen the rural economy and enhance employment opportunities for self-help groups. “More than 2,900 women are currently engaged in making these plates at the Saksham Cluster Level Federation. However, due to less demand, the production of eco-friendly plates was kept low. Now, the district administration has decided to serve langar in plates made of ‘taur’ leaves in all temples in the district, starting with Taradevi temple” said the DC.

He said using eco-friendly plates made with leaves will help in environmental conservation, as ‘taur’ leaves decompose in two to three days after they were buried in pits just like any other leaves. Besides, people can also use them as fertiliser.