Bharat Tribes Fest Illuminates Delhi with Tribal Art and Culture
New Delhi's historic Sunder Nursery has been transformed into a vibrant hub of cultural exchange in recent days, as the Bharat Tribes Fest brings together colors, crafts, and conversations to enliven this Mughal-era park. Organized by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), the festival features over 1,000 tribal artisans, self-help groups, chefs, and cultural troupes from across the nation.
Artisans Weave Stories of Tradition and Resilience
In one corner, Dhanai Majhi from Odisha's Batra tribe sits quietly, her fingers deftly threading grains of paddy into thin bamboo strips. "I learned this by watching elders at home," she shares, lifting a small Ganapati figure made for post-harvest rituals. Her hands move with a practiced ease, each motion a testament to generational knowledge passed down through families.
Nearby, artists from Madhya Pradesh breathe life into Gond, Warli, Pithora, and Saura traditions on canvas. A Gond artist explains, "Every stroke tells a story. This 4x6 piece took me four months and is worth Rs 1.5 lakh." The festival serves as a living archive, where each stall narrates engrossing life stories, from metal artisans hammering intricate designs to clothing stalls from Nagaland, Assam, and Gujarat drawing steady crowds.
Bridging Communities and Breaking Stereotypes
The event transcends mere exhibition, acting as a bridge between tribal communities and the wider world. Women from Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, an area long affected by Naxal violence, express their journey's significance. "Coming from a place like ours, where every day brings fresh challenges, we never imagined we'd be here," one says. They showcase chapra chutney made from red weaver ants and rice-based brews, using their stall to convey messages of resilience and quiet assertion.
Communication takes diverse forms, as seen with Abangange Samu, an Onge from Little Andaman Island, who reads expressions while promoting coconut oil. His companion notes, "It's generational work. Earlier, it was only for personal use. Now, we are trying to bring it to a larger market."
Visitor Engagement and International Participation
Visitors like Manish from Delhi appreciate the authenticity, stating, "It's rare to find authentic tribal art like this in one place." Prachi, who heard about the festival on the radio, admires raw traditional jewellery from Manipur and diverse foods. The festival also extends globally, with artisans from Fiji displaying handcrafted items such as pandanus earrings and tekiteki flowers made from mulberry bark, signaling marital status.
Amidst performances and stalls offering Kerala's handcrafted cutlery, bamboo biryani from Andhra Pradesh, and traditional brews from Baiga tribals, the Bharat Tribes Fest celebrates India's rich tribal heritage while fostering economic opportunities and cultural pride.
