By Sunil Sonkar
Mussoorie, 11 Jun: TRIFED, under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, is organising a 6-day Aadi Chitra (Tribal Painting) Exhibition and Sale this year at Hotel Garhwal Terrace, Mall Road, here. Such an exhibition is being organised for the first time in Uttarakhand. Gond paintings of Madhya Pradesh, Saura and Pattachitra paintings of Odisha, Warli paintings of Maharashtra and Pithora paintings of Gujarat will be displayed and sold. Live painting was also done by tribal painters on the occasion.
The exhibition was inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Sanjay Tolia, Director, Tribal Welfare Directorate and Additional Secretary to the Chief Minister, by cutting the ribbon. On this occasion, the Chief Guest was welcomed by Preeti Tolia, Deputy General Manager and Regional Manager, TRIFED, by presenting a shawl. During the inauguration of the exhibition, a musical instrument performance was also given by the Jaunsari tribal artists from Chakrata area which mesmerised all the people present. The exhibition saw tribal artisans and craftsmen from various states displaying and selling the best of their handmade products.
The cultural performances of tribal artists like Tharu, Bhotia, Raji and Jaunsari left the audience amazed. Artisans and craftsmen from Nagaland, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand and other states displayed indigenous handmade products for sale. They displayed a wide range of handicrafts, jewellery, winter wear, tribal fusion fashion, paintings, carpets, traditional medicines and more. Live activities like Aipan painting and pottery making were also organised.
Sanjay Tolia, Director, Tribal Welfare Directorate said that TRIFED organises Aadi Chitra with the aim of promoting the talent of tribal artists and preserving their art. The sale of the displayed paintings generates income and encourages tribal artists. He also said that such programmes will be organised regularly to promote traditional culture and heritage. He said that organising the exhibition boosts the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Local for Vocal. He said that the government has taken the initiative to promote the art and culture of the country, unite them under one roof and provide benefits to the artisans and craftsmen. He said that the main objective of organising the exhibition in Mussoorie is to introduce the products made by the tribal community to the tourists coming to city. He said that the Tribal Department works separately for the uplift of the tribes.
He disclosed that, at present, the Tribal Department is running 16 Ashram system schools, four Eklavya schools and three ITIs along with hostels, in which the work of providing education to the tribal children from all over the country is being done and they are being prepared to be included in the mainstream of the country. He said that four Eklavya schools have been opened in Uttarakhand, out of which two are in Jaunsar and two in Udham Singh Nagar and preparations are underway to open another school in Pauri soon.
