Celebrating Tribal Heritage Of India: 'Adivasi Mela’ Kicks Off In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: The annual 'Adivasi Mela', a tribal fair in Odisha that highlights the traditions, heritage, and lifestyle of the country's indigenous communities, began in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated the fair in the state capital. Typically held around Republic Day, the fair was advanced this year to align it with the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas to be held in Bhubaneswar from Wednesday.

"The Adivasi Mela, also known as the Tribal Festival, is being organised very nicely here. This fair used to be held on January 26 every year, but we organised it earlier this year, from January 5 to January 16, because we got the opportunity to host the 'Pravasi Bharatiya Divas' in Odisha. We have organized this fair on a grand scale," said Charan Majhi

A key highlight of the fair is the Adivasi Village, which showcases traditional huts and authentic tribal living, along with an Adivasi Market offering a variety of tribal products. Raya Singh, a Tribal Artist said, "We are showcasing the traditions and lifestyle of the 'Ho' tribal community from the past. Today's generation does not even know how the 'Ho' community used to live then. We want to demonstrate that we are still following the same traditions and lifestyle even today."

"Through this art, I want to demonstrate how tribal people used to live in the jungle, eat fruits, and stay in mud huts. We want to showcase that while people living in cities now reside in concrete houses, we, the tribal people living in the jungle, still follow the tradition of living in these types of huts," said Pandav Munda, another Tribal artist.
 The Adivasi Mela features over 150 stalls, including 40 dedicated to showcasing tribal art and culture.

Visitors have the unique opportunity to witness live demonstrations of traditional crafts, giving them an authentic experience of the indigenous communities' creative practices. The event has also attracted international tourists, who were captivated by the vibrant display of tribal culture, art, and crafts. The fair will conclude on January 16.