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Bhubaneswar: The annual Adivasi Mela-2024, organised by the ST&SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare department, kicked off in Odisha capital here today.<\/p>\n
ST & SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Minister Jagannath Saraka inaugurated the tribal fair at Adivasi Exhibition Ground in Unit-I area of the city.<\/p>\n
The annual fair will showcase tribal culture, tradition, anthropological narratives and range of products from various pockets of the state.<\/p>\n
ST & SC Development department Commissioner-cum-Secretary Roopa Roshan Sahoo, Director, SCSTRTI & Member Secretary, Academy of Tribal Language and Culture (ATLC) Indramani Tripathy and senior officials were present at the inaugural ceremony.<\/p>\n
Tribal talents from various fields were also honoured with Rs 10,000 cash awards and citation as part of \u2018Adivasi Pratibha Samman\u2019 on the occasion.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs per the demand of the participants at the Adivasi Mela last year, a permanent facility for effective market linkages of the tribal produce and crafts would be planned in the state capital in near future. This, in a way, would help more and more tribal SHG groups to take their business potential to a different level,\u201d said the minister while interacting with media persons soon after the inaugural ceremony.<\/p>\n
The Commissioner-cum-Secretary of ST & SC Development department said, \u201cThe annual Adivasi Mela has so far completed an eventful 70 years of journey as it came to the city in 1954 after it started in the-then capital city of Cuttack in 1951\u2033.<\/p>\n
She also informed that a multilingual drama festival by different tribal communities will be organised at the Adivasi Mela Ground between February 3 and 5 as a sideline event of the World Odia Language Conference in the city.<\/p>\n
The tribal fair will continue till February 5. People can visit the fair from 2.30 pm to 9 pm while cultural events by various tribal troupes would be held between 6.30 pm and 8.30 pm.<\/p>\n
This year, as many as 66 stalls have come up under the Tribal Haat while 15 stalls have been set up to showcase tribal art and crafts at the fair.<\/p>\n
The Adivasi Mela has an ensemble of tribal products like Kandhamal \u2018haldi\u2019, millet products, minor forest produce from different tribal pockets and freshly procured strawberry from Sunabeda to attract visitors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe last year\u2019s Adivasi Mela had done business of over Rs 5 crore. This year, the volume of transaction is likely to go up,\u201d said an official.<\/p>\n
At least 39 cultural troupes from various districts are scheduled to perform at the fair.<\/p>\n
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