Chief Minister Raghubar Das alongwith Union Minister Sudarshan Bhagat today inaugurated the grand celebration of the spirit of tribal populace that showcases unique crafts, customs, cuisines of the community through annual fest ‘Aadi Mahotsav’ here on Friday.
Jharkhand that registers sufficient number of ethnic groups, for the first time has got the privilege to host this ten days long event. The event is organized by Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India limited (TRIFED) in association with the State government to advertise tribal products in a more elaborate way through this dedicated fair.
During the inauguration Das said that the State government is continuously striving towards making available national and international markets for tribal artifacts so that they get better prices and their living standard rises. He said that the government is toiling hard to increase the income of tribal community members.
The event is an amalgamation of the cultures of a few States that registers ample tribal population often referred as Asur, Adivasi, Vanvasi, Pahari etc. From Chhattisgarh’s prominent Bastar art to Odisha’s Saura tribal artifacts, this year, around 15 States have participated in the Mahotsav. Over 64 stalls offering variety of handicrafts from across the country have been decked up at Audrey House, the venue of the event. Besides, handicrafts, ‘Aadi Mahotsav’ also offer some selected ‘Aadi Vyanjan’ (Tribal Cuisines) for the fair hoppers.
As many as 10 food stalls presenting the authentic flavors of their respective States have been put up at the fair. Reflecting the art and soul of India, States like Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Gujarat etc. have participated in the event. From Jharkhand, around 50 NGOs, at present working for the welfare of the tribal communities here are associated with TRIFED. A wide range of tribal products ranging from apparels to decorative show pieces are available at the fair at a nominal cost.
TRIFED, a national-level apex organization functioning under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs organizes the fair not just for the promotion and revival of tribal goods but also to connect public with the tribal origins. Striving hard for the success of the fair, the entry at the fair has been made free besides giving number of special offers to the public. The artisans appeared happy and are expecting good footfall considering the host State.
Adding uniqueness to the event to bring out the quintessence of tribal artifacts, special stalls for live demonstrations of bangles making, crafting out different forms of tribal arts on apparels, goodies has been set up on the premises.