The Indian government, in association with the Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) and Tribes India, recently organized Aadi Mahotsav at Dilli Haat in New Delhi.

Aadi Mahotsav is an annual event which started in 2017. The festival tries to familiarize people with the rich and diverse handicrafts, culture of tribal communities across the country, in one place. The pandemic hampered the organization of the event in 2020. The Aadi Mahotsav 2021 is vibrant with a theme “A Celebration of the Spirit of Tribal Crafts, Culture and Commerce“, which represents ethics basic tribal life. There are around 200 stalls and 1000 participating artisans as well as artists from all over the country, which feels like a mini India under one roof.

Aadi Mahotsav is also known to be a one-stop gift destination that caters to different types of needs. There is a wide range of natural and immunity boosting tribal products such as organic haldi, dry amla, wild honey, black pepper, ragi, triphala, and lentil mixes such as moong dal, l ‘urad dal, white beans, millets and dalia to artefacts like paintings whether in the Warli or Patachitras style; from handcrafted jewelry in the Dokra style to pearl necklaces of the northeastern Wancho and Konyak tribes to rich and vibrant textiles and silks, namely; colorful puppets and traditional weaving children’s toys such as Dongria shawls and Bodo weaves; from Bastar iron crafts to bamboo crafts and rattan furniture; all of this is available in one place.

Depending on the needs and the budget, these products can be personalized in gift boxes. Packaged in premium organic, recyclable and sustainable packaging materials, they are designed to make ideal gifts for any occasion.

Mr. Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India, at the inauguration of the event called for a development model that preserves the particular identity of the tribes. Noting the wide range of tribal crafts, he stressed the need to harness the natural skills of tribal people to promote and popularize their products and improve their sources of income.

The “Voice for Local India” under Atma Nirbhar Bharat helps local artists showcase their skills and earn a living. The Aadi Mahotsav doesn’t just promote shopping, artists showcase their skills on location, whether it’s bracelets, jewelry, or metal crafts. The show occupied a prominent place with about fifty products marked IG. The World Trade Organization (WTO) has designated the geographical territory from which the product originates, it can be an agricultural, natural or manufactured product.

The country is a member of the WTO and has signed the Convention that promulgated Geographical Indications (Law on Registration and Protection), 1999, which entered into force on September 15, 2003. TRIFED is making full efforts in promotion of the geographical indication among the tribal products of Van Dhan Naturals and organic products, or tribal crafts, and other artistic creations.

Under TRIFED, the Van Dhan program is implemented in 27 states and 307 districts. The program supports tribals in collecting, selling and also adding value, which has helped them triple or quadruple their income. The program has a component of a mechanism for marketing minor forest products through the minimum support price and the development of the value chain for MFP. The nodal agency at the national level also encourages Van Dhan start-ups for the socio-economic development of the tribal population of the country. There are 927,927 Van Dhan Yojana beneficiaries, 52,976 Van Dhan self-help groups and around 461 crore are funded to date. The fair attracted value-added products for contemporary interior design such as bamboo trees that were transformed into brooms, bottles, bows and arrows and other attractive interior decorative pieces. The new addition to the fair that caught the visitor’s attention in the lobby is virgin coconut oil from Andaman and Nicobar. Visitors purchased Northeastern wine made from wild currants, plums, rice and other locally available fruits.

One can also enjoy exotic foods such as madwa roti, litti chokha, dhuska, banjara biryani, dal baati, hot jilebi, churma, kahwa tea and other foods from different parts of the country here at festival.

The Mahotsav captivated the audience with performances by tribal artists and also ramp works by the students, artists with the costumes of the fair. The fair enabled tribal artists to make a living and the younger generations had the opportunity to learn about the unique art and traditions of the country.