Adivasi Mela 2025 begins, know its history & what’s new this year

Bhubaneswar,: The much-awaited Adivasi Mela, where the heritage comes alive, began with its inauguration by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at the IDCO Exhibition Ground in Bhubaneswar this evening.The Adivasi Mela, which is being organized by the ST&SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare Department of the State government, will continue till January 16. The Adivasi Mela celebrates the tribal culture, tradition, and art that unites rural people with the urban residents.Lakhs of people come together every year to buy and sell small forest products, daily necessities, agricultural products, art products, etc. produced and collected by the tribals and enjoy the cultural programs organized
every evening. The tribal culture, tradition and the successful implementation of the government-level initiatives for their development are visible in the Tribal Fair. Therefore, this fair, which depicts the overall development of the tribals of Odisha and showcases their unique lifestyle to others, has created its own identity in the country.When we speak about its history, the Adivasi Mela was first started in Cuttack, the then capital of Odisha, in 1951. Since 1954, it has been shifted to Bhubaneswar, the new State capital city. Initially, the fair was being organized for a week, seven days, at the Adivasi Ground in Bapuji Nagar, Bhubaneswar. But due to its growing popularity it was extended to 15 days in 2010. The annual fair is being shifted to the IDCO Exhibition Ground in view of the security or traffic reasons.Usually, the Adivasi Mela begins from January 26. However, the state government decided to organize it early this year in view of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, which is to be held Bhubaneswar between January 8 and January 10, 2025.This year, the Adivasi Mela has 7 main sections.