GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated Aadi Mahotsav (Tribal Festival) which went off to a colourful start at Ganesh Mandir Indoor Stadium, Khanapara, Guwahati on Friday evening. The festival has been organised by Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India.
Sonowal after inaugurating the festival interacted with the artists and lauded their significant role in the protection, preservation and promotion of the rare folk art and craft of the country. The theme of the first-of-its-kind festival in Guwahati is a celebration of the spirit of tribal craft, culture, cuisine and commerce, which will roll out a spectrum of the rare folk art and craft of their respective states.
The CM lauded the efforts of TRIFED for offering a platform to showcase their artistic creations and bringing all artisans together under one umbrella.
TRIFED Managing Director, Pravir Krishna informed that acclaimed artists and artisans from 20 states of the country, including Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal and North-East states are a part of this mega event.
It may be mentioned here that Aadi Mahotsav will display handloom, handicraft, ethnic jewellery items, and designers’ crockery items from Jammu and Kashmir in the North, Tamil Naidu down South, Gujarat in the West and Nagaland/Sikkim in the East besides the traditional tribal jewelry. The festival will continue till February 25, 2018 from 10:00 am to 8.30 pm.
