Handia rice beer

Handia is a traditional, indigenous rice beer that is deeply rooted in the cultural history of East-Central India, particularly across the states of Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal. Unlike industrial beverages, Handia is predominantly a home-brewed product, crafted using boiled rice and a specific fermenting herb tablet known as 'Ranu' or 'Mulika'.

Because it is an ancestral beverage rather than a corporate-owned brand, its production remains decentralized, residing within tribal communities and local markets. It is not owned by a multinational corporation but is a heritage product passed down through generations. While some small-scale commercial bottlers may exist in local regions, Handia remains a staple of community rituals and rural livelihoods, lacking a single ultimate global owner or centralized manufacturing facility.