The Tribes India Aadi Mahotsav held from 1-15 February 2021 at Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi came to a successful close this evening.

The closing ceremony was presided by Shri Ramesh Chand Meena, Chairman, TRIFED in the presence of Shri Krishnadhan Das, Chairman, Tripura MARKFED and Shri Pravir Krishna, Managing Director, TRIFED. The closing programme began with the visit of dignitaries to the stalls of the festival.

 Following which, they were welcomed and felicitated by Shri Pravir Krishna, Managing Director, TRIFED and the TRIFED team. In his welcome address, Shri Krishna thanked the dignitaries for their visit and the residents of Delhi for making this event a grand success. He was confident that the heavy footfall and the phenomenal sales registered despite the times we live in, would definitely go a long way in helping the tribal artisans and dwellers overcome the setback that they faced during the lockdown.

The short ceremony which also saw the felicitation of the top three tribal artisans categorized in different groups such as textiles, gifts and assortments, organic products, cane and bamboo, jewellery, metal, paintings, pottery, and tribal cuisine based on their sales and popularity with the audiences. The artisans/ organisations felicitated were given a memento. The ceremony came to a close with a cultural programme and dinner.

The fortnight-long National Tribal Festival saw the participation of 1000s of tribal artisans, chefs, artists and cultural troupes from 25 states across the country. The rich tribal culture as evident in the form of rare tribal handicrafts, handloom and natural products, tribal cuisines were on display in about 200 stalls. The Aadi Mahotsav succeeded in winning the hearts of the residents of Delhi as witnessed by the heavy footfall over the past 15 days and the sales registered. 

The wares of the tribal artisans, be it the fine Pattachitra paintings, or the lovely silks from Assam, or the exquisite tribal jewellery from Odisha and the beaded necklaces from the North-east have, have been very liked. Add to it the earthy, exotic cuisine of the tribals, ranging from momos from Sikkim to mahua laddoos from Chhattisgarh; from Dhuska and litti chokha from Jharkhand to thapdi roti of Odisha and chapda chutney of Chhattisgarh. The feasts available to one’s senses in the festival have been many. 

Perhaps making up for the losses registered due to the lockdown, the Aadi Mahotsav has seen the tribal artisans register approximately Rs 4 crore in direct sales over the past fortnight. Moreover, a purchase order worth Rs 8 crores has been placed by TRIFED; leading to a total of approximately Rs 12 crores in business transactions for the tribals participating in this festival.

The Aadi Mahotsav has truly been a celebration of the spirit of tribal life – crafts, culture and cuisine.