Jual Oram, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs inaugurated the “Aadi Mahotsav” a National Tribal Festival to celebrate, cherish and promote the spirit of tribal craft, culture, cuisine and commerce at Delhi Haat, INA today. Jaswant sinh Suman bhai Babhor,and Sudarshan Bhagat Ministers of State for Tribal Affairs and several dignitaries were present on the occasion. The Mahotsav has been organized by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TRIFED from 16-30 November, 2018 at Dilli Haat, INA; from 21-30 November, 2018 at Nehru Park and from 16-19 November, 2018 at Central Park, New Delhi.Delivering inaugural address, Shri Jual Oram, said that the Tribes constitute over 8% population. This is a very significant number. In real term, it corresponds to 10 crore Indians. The national object of inclusive development (Sabka Vikas) includes the development of Tribes as an important component. The Mahotsav comprises of display and sale of items of tribal art and craft, tribal medicine & healers, tribal cuisine and display of tribal folk performance, in which tribal artisans, chefs, folk dancers/musicians from 23 States of the country are participating and providing glimpse of their rich traditional culture.He said that the theme of the festival is: “A Celebration of the Spirit of Tribal Culture, Craft, Cuisine and Commerce”. The Mahotsav features exhibition-cum-sale of tribal handicrafts, art, paintings, fabric, jewellery and much more through 100 stalls. Over 200 tribal artisans and artists from different States creating a Mini-India are participating in the festival.Shri Oram said that the Adivasi way of life is guided by primal truths, eternal values and a natural simplicity.
The greatness of the tribes lies in this that they have managed to retain the primal skills and natural simplicity. Their creations issue from the depths of time. This quality gives their arts and crafts a timeless appeal. The crudest tribal handicraft instantly touches a primal instinct in all of us. This is particularly true in tribal music and dance. A colourful cultural programme was also orgnaized on the occasion in collaboration with Ministry of Culture.More than 600 Artisans from 23 States, 80 Tribal Chefs from more than 20 States and 14 Dance Troupes comprising more than 200 Artists will participate in the Mahotsav. The highlights of the Mahotsav are – Live demo for making Mahua wine, TAA Ras and Candy Mahua Imli Chutney etc; Live demo for making Lac bangles; Painting demo for 4 different school of painting i.e. Worli, Pithora, Gond and Saura; Fashion show for tribal textiles, fashion accessories etc. (23rd November) and Tribal Cuisines making and sale from different States.Tribal products being displayed at Mahotsav include - Heritage collection of Sarees like Bhandara, Maheshwari Bagh, Sambalpuri, Tassar, Cotton Kantha; Silk and cotton textiles from Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal; Men’s collection includes cotton, woollen and silk Jackets, Kurtas from MP, Rajasthan and Jharkhand; Bell Metal from Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh; Paintings from Gujrat, Maharashtra, Odisha and MP; Woollens from HP, Uttaranchal and J&K; Honey, spices dry fruits etc. from different States; Tribal Jewellery from Himachal, Odisha, North-East, MP, Telangana; Pottery from Manipur, Rajasthan; Home Furnishing from Rajasthan, North East, MP, UP; Bags collection from Gujrat, Telangana, Jharkhand; and Grass Mat and Coir collection from West Bengal, Jharkhand and Kerala.