Administrator
10 August 2026
*Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar (second from left), CM Hemant Soren (middle), and his wife, Kalpana Soren, who is an MLA, inaugurated the Adivasi Festival at Morahabadi Maidan, Ranchi, on August 9, 2026
Away from the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium lies Morahabadi in Ranchi, where vibrant India’s tribal cultures are on display.
Here, the Jharkhand Tribal Festival 2025 was held from August 9 to August 11, marking the occasion of World Tribal Day 2026.
The three-day festival has brought together tribal artists and cultural groups from 11 states, offering audiences an opportunity to experience the extraordinary diversity of India’s indigenous artistic traditions on a single platform.
Alongside Jharkhand, cultural troupes from Tripura, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Rajasthan, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh will participate in the festival. The inclusion of a tribal dance group from Bihar for the first time is among the notable features of this year’s programme.
Three Days, Eleven States, Many Traditions
The festival has been conceived around the traditions, customs, colours and cultural expressions of tribal communities. Rather than presenting a single cultural identity, the event will bring together distinct forms of tribal music, dance and performance from different parts of the country.
For three days, Morabadi Maidan is coloured to serve as a shared cultural stage where traditions rooted in different geographies and communities can be experienced alongside one another.
*Kalpana Soren, MLA
August 9: Displayed A Cultural Welcome to the Festival
The festival began on August 9 with the Reejh Rang Rasika welcome rally, which will travel from Tagore Hill Road to Morabadi Maidan. The rally featured representatives of 32 tribal communities.
The opening day also included floral tributes at the Shaheed Vedi and the unveiling of a postage stamp, followed by addresses by the Chief Minister, the chief guest and other dignitaries.
The cultural programme featured performances by Monika Munda and Megha Dalton, who will present contemporary Nagpuri songs, followed by a Nagpuri performance by Padma Shri Mukund Nayak.
The evening will continue with a celebrity artist’s performance and a presentation by the Maldives Band, before concluding with a laser show.
August 10: Tribal Dance, Music and the Next Generation
The second day today ( August 10, 2026) is scheduled to open with a college band competition, bringing young performers into the festival’s cultural programme.
The day is gearing up to feature a range of traditional dance forms and musical performances, including:
• Kharia dance by Neeli Anita Dungdung of Simdega
• Oraon dance by Krishna Bhagat of Ranchi
• Mundari dance by Lakhan Gudiya of Khunti
• Santhali dance by Devla Murmu
• Panchpargania dance by Bootan Devi
• Khortha horse dance by Vinod Mahto
• Sarangi performance by Mahesh Pahan and Shreya Tiwari
Padma Shri Madhu Mansuri Hasmukh will present Nagpuri song and dance, alongside a programme by a humour poet and performances by local tribal bands.
The day brings together established artists, community traditions and younger performers, reflecting the festival’s larger cultural span.
August 11: India’s Tribal Diversity Takes Centre Stage
The final day will expand the festival’s national character, with performances representing tribal traditions from several participating states.
The programme will include modern Nagpuri singing by Pawan Kumar Rai, a performance by Sulekha Kumari and Janani – Mumur, Manamum Chhau by Srishtidhar Mehta, and a Mandar performance by Manpuran Nayak.
The festival will then showcase dance and music groups from Tripura, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Rajasthan, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.
*Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren is playing a traditional musical instrument to kickstart the Adivasi festival to promote tribal culture.
The three-day celebration will conclude at 6 pm on August 11.
A Festival of Cultural Continuity
The Jharkhand Tribal Festival is part of the state’s continuing effort to provide a national platform to tribal art, culture, traditions and community expressions.
Jharkhand has previously hosted major tribal cultural gatherings at Morabadi Maidan. The state government’s official account of the 2022 Jharkhand Tribal Festival described the event as a platform through which tribal art, culture, traditions, folk songs, dance and music could gain wider recognition, while anthropologists, experts and researchers also discussed tribal philosophy, lifestyles and the challenges facing indigenous communities.
The 2025 festival carried that cultural idea forward, bringing together artists from across regions and placing Jharkhand’s own rich tribal traditions alongside those of communities from across India.
For three days, Ranchi has not emerged simply to host a festival. It will host a conversation between cultures—expressed through movement, rhythm, music, memory and traditions that have travelled across generations.
Note: Sources
The Followup — “9 से 11 अगस्त तक आयोजित होगा झारखंड आदिवासी महोत्सव, 11 राज्यों के कलाकार होंगे शामिल”
Punjab Kesari — “9 से 11 अगस्त तक आयोजित होगा झारखंड आदिवासी महोत्सव…”
Chief Minister of Jharkhand — Jharkhand Tribal Festival 2022
