Aadi Mahotsav

Ministry of Tribal Affairs

Context:

Crowds have been visiting the Aadi Mahotsav on at Dilli Haat to get a peek into the rich tribal culture of our country. A major attraction of the Tribes India Aadi Mahotsav has been the cultural programmes, which showcase the diversity and variety of Indian tribes.

Key Highlights:

• The Aadi Mahotsav is an annual event that was started in 2017.
•  However, due to the pandemic, the 2020 edition of the festival could not be held.
• The fortnight-long festival features the exhibition-cum-sale of tribal handicrafts, art, paintings, fabric, jewellery and much more through 200 stalls to showcase this.  About 1000 tribal artisans and artists from across the country are participating in the festival.
• Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED)  under the M/o Tribal Affairs, as the nodal agency working towards tribal empowerment, has been putting in place several initiatives that help in improving the income and livelihood of the tribal people, while preserving their way of life and tradition.
• The Aadi Mahotsav is one such initiative that helps enable the economic welfare of these communities and bring them closer towards mainstream development.
• The show featured beautiful tribal weaves from various parts of the country –sarees, kurtis, tops, shawls, stoles and exquisite accessories like jewellery from the North-east or dhokra jewellery and bags such as Banjara bags. 

About TRIFED

TRIFED was established in August 1987 under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 1984 by the Government of India as a National level Cooperative body.  Under the administrative control of the then Ministry of Welfare of India, TRIFED is mandated to ringing about socio-economic development of tribals of the country by institutionalising the trade of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) & Surplus Agricultural Produce (SAP) collected/ cultivated by them. 

TRIFED plays the dual role of both a market developer and a service provider, empowering them with knowledge and tools to better their operations in a systematic, scientific manner and also assist them in developing their marketing approach.

TRIFED is involved actively in capacity building of the tribal people through sensitization and the formation of Self Help Groups (SHGs). TRIFED is engaged in training the tribals in several activities, so that they can effectively carry them out.

The organization also assists them in exploring and creating opportunities to market the developed products in national and  international markets on a sustainable basis. TRIBES India is the brand under which the sourced handcrafted products from the tribal people are sold. There are 120 brick-and-mortar TRIBES India outlets across the country, making it a sustainable and reliable brand.