Tribal Food Festival and Block Mela Deliver Festive Cheer to Kamorta on Independence Day

Tarun Karthick

Sri Vijaya Puram, 18 August 2025

The spirit of the 79th Independence Day was celebrated with color, tradition, and neighborhood engagement as a two-day Block Mela-cum-Tribal Food Festival was held on the Hockey Ground, Kamorta, on August 15–16, 2025. The occasion was organized underneath the flagship programme of the Government of India, Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM), with the purpose of empowering rural communities, strengthening citizen–administration interface, and selling cultural expression and entrepreneurship.

The inaugural operate was graced by Mr. Aditya Sangotra, Assistant Commissioner, Nancowry, because the chief visitor, within the presence of Ms. Ayesha Majeed, Chief Tribal Captain, Nancowry, Mr. Charles Jacob, CTC, Kamorta, Mr. Mohammed Yunus M, BDO, Nancowry, in addition to Heads of Departments, tribal leaders, and villagers in giant numbers.

Addressing the gathering, the chief visitor emphasised the significance of inter-departmental collaboration in organizing such neighborhood programmes, noting that joint efforts not solely improve service supply but additionally assist the general public higher perceive welfare schemes and initiatives. 

Welcoming individuals, the Block Development Officer, Nancowry, highlighted the pageant’s function in fostering cultural preservation, livelihood promotion, and innovation.

A serious spotlight of the mela was the launch of “NiCoShe,” a brand new SHG model of Virgin Coconut Oil, managed by Manula Mathai Payuh, a Producer Group fashioned underneath DAY-NRLM.

For the primary time within the Nancowry area, a Virtual Reality Show was additionally launched in collaboration with the Department of IP&T, providing guests a 3D exploration of tribal villages comparable to Daring, Munak, Hodi race, and the Kamorta Natural Harbour.

Various Government Departments—together with Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services, Agriculture, Fisheries, Fire, Health, Rural Development, Social Welfare, State Bank of India, and INS Kardip—arrange stalls to create consciousness about their schemes. More than 150 Self Help Group members from distant areas like Katchal, Teressa, and Bunderkhadi participated, showcasing handicrafts, embroidery, and native produce.

The Tribal Food Festival proved to be a crowd-puller, with SHGs presenting a big selection of Nicobarese delicacies ready from coconut, pandanus, taro, yam, and seafood, providing guests a style of the islands’ wealthy culinary traditions.

Adding vibrancy, the much-awaited “Dance Nancowry Dance” competitors featured performances mixing conventional and trendy dance varieties, drawing enthusiastic applause. The pageant environment was additional enriched with spirited neighborhood video games comparable to Tug of War (males’s and girls’s classes), Coconut Grating, Arm Wrestling, and Pass the Ball, which rekindled camaraderie and festive cheer amongst all age teams. (Story Based PR)