Unlike every year, while the world observes on August 9th, World Tribal Day, dedicated to advocating for and safeguarding the rights of indigenous populations, this time Jharkhand is celebrating Adivasi Mahotsav 2023 to show case rich culture and tradition of Adivasis.

All state government offices are closed and their functionaries are engaged in organising Adivasi Mahotsav inside Bhagwan Birsa Munda Memorial Park-cum-Museum in Ranchi’s Jail chowk.

Across the world,it’s a day to recognize their valuable contributions and accomplishments that have enhanced global living conditions.

Also referred to as World Indigenous Day or International Day of World's Indigenous People, this occasion offers a prime opportunity to actively work towards safeguarding the fundamental rights of tribal communities worldwide.

The origins of observing this day stem from a worldwide movement aimed at acknowledging the rights and valuable contributions of indigenous peoples. Despite constituting around 6% of the global population, indigenous communities are frequently marginalized, even though they possess rich cultural diversity.

The concept of designating a day to honor indigenous people's started within the United Nations. The primary goal was to safeguard the rights of these populations and ensure their voices received global recognition.

In December 1994, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to officially recognize and commemorate the International Day of the World's Indigenous People.

The theme chosen for World Tribal Day 2023 centers around “Indigenous Youth as Agents of Change for Self-determination."

In India, the term 'Adivasi' is used to encompass a diverse range of ethnic and tribal communities that are regarded as the original inhabitants of the country.

These tribal groups make up approximately 8.6% of India's overall population, which amounts to around 104 million individuals as per the 2011 census.

Although the most substantial tribal communities are concentrated in central India, they constitute merely about 10% of the total population in that region.

The state of Jharkhand consists of 33 million people in its total area. Among these, 26% of the population are Scheduled tribes, and 78% of people belong to the rural areas.

Today two- day Adivasi Mahotsav - 2023 kicked off in Ranchi with Chief Minister Hemant Soren and JMM chief Shibu Soren on front foot.Their organised festival aims to showcase the tribal tradition, art and culture, lifestyle, music and dance, besides holding seminars that would be attended by scholars and celebrities from across the county.

The tribal festival was organised for the first time in 2022 , but the scale of event has been magnified this year by promoting it across the country, and ensuring participation of guests from across the country, the officials added.

“Artists from tribal communities from Arunchal Pradesh, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan would participate in the festival and showcase their tradition and culture. In the event, Jharkhand artists would present Nagpuri, Saraikela Chhau, Domkach, Paika and other dance forms,” said an official, asking not to be named.