National Tribal Craft Mela & National Tribal Dance Festival-2023 being in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: The National Tribal Dance Festival and National Tribal Craft Mela are being organized by Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute, Bhubaneswar every year with support from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India.

The National Tribal Dance Festival- has reached its 12th year and the National Tribal Craft Mela its 10th year of celebration. Both the events provide a platform to showcase the richness of traditional heritage and culture of Indian Tribes.

Over the Year, these annual events are gradually becoming more popular and attractive. During the current year, the National Tribal Dance Festival will be organized from 13th-15th March, 2023 (6.30 PM to 8.30 PM) and National Tribal Craft Mela from 13th-19th March, 2023 (3 PM to 9 PM) at Adivasi Exhibition Ground, Unit-I, Bhubaneswar.

In the National Tribal Craft Mela, 14 States like Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Odisha will showcase their various types of exquisite products like bamboo craft, lacquer craft, paddy craft, stonework, sabai & siali craft, woodcraft, leaf craft, tribal painting, iron craft, textiles etc.

Likewise, in the three-day Tribal Dance Festival, 25 exhilarating and ethnic dance forms of 17 Indian Tribes from 12 different states will be staged.

Both the national events were inaugurated today by Jagannath Saraka, Minister of ST & SC Development Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare, Law, Government of Odisha, Sulochana Das, Bhubaneswar Mayor, Roopa Roshan Sahoo, the Commissioner-cum-Secretary, ST & SC Development, M & BCW Department, Indramani Tripathy, the Director, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute, Bhubaneswar and other dignitaries were present in the Inaugural function.

On the Inaugural evening of the National Tribal Dance Festival, Solakia Dance of Mizo tribe of Mizoram, Rekhampada Dance of Nyishi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, Khapri Dance of Gond tribe of Maharashtra, Bijapandu Dance of Koya tribe of Odisha, Swang Dance of Sahariya tribe of Rajasthan, Karma Dance of Oraon tribe of Jharkhand, Kandikottalu Dance of Jathapu tribe of Andhra Pradesh and Jhummar Dance of Gond tribe Uttar Pradesh were performed.

On the 2nd day, colourful tribal dances like Ghumariya Dance of Rathwa tribe of Gujarat, Toki Jathara Dance of Jathapu tribe of Andhra Pradesh, Hiran Dance of Jaunsari tribe of Uttarakhand, Dhangada Dhangidi Dance of Kutia Kandha tribe of Odisha, Mandari Dance of Gond tribe of Chhattisgarh, Jukaru Dance of Pangwal tribe of Himachal Pradesh, Jatra Dance of Oraon tribe of Jharkhand and Cheraw & Chheihlam Dance of Mizo tribe of Mizoram will be staged.

On the third evening, Dhemsa Dance of Gond tribe of Maharashtra, Popir Dance of Galo tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, Holi Gheraiya Dance of Rathwa tribe of Gujarat, Ghurai Dance of Pangwal tribe of Himachal Pradesh, Karma Dance of Oraon tribe of Odisha, Kachhi Ghodi Dance of Sahariya tribe of Rajasthan, Karma Dance of Gond tribe of Uttar Pradesh, Geddi Dance of Gond tribe of Chhattisgarh and Hati Dance of Jaunsari tribe of Uttarakhand will be staged.