Udaipur District Collector Tarachand Meena has initiated the grand Kotra Mahotsav, which will be held from 27-29 September.  To oversee the arrangements, the Collector visited Kotra on 11 September, where he met the folk artists and administration officials. During his visit, the Collector interacted with the folk artists saw their performance and preparations for the festival.

Enhancing awareness of the Tribal belt

The Kotra forests near Udaipur are rich in natural beauty, dense forests, water bodies. Kotra is also a fundamental tribal belt of the region. This initiative has been taken by the District Collector to spread awareness on the culturally rich tribal community of the region, their traditions and the folklore. Facilitating this kind of festival in the tribal belt is to enhance the tourism quotient of Udaipur beyond the city and to spread it to across to the flora and fauna rich tribal belt. With a population of more than 2 lakh people, Kotda, now known as Kotra is a tribal dominated tehsil of Udaipur district. Due to being a scheduled tribal belt, the culture and traditions come under special protection by the government.

If we travel through Rajasthan, we will come across many God-gifted folk artists who are devoted to their craft and culture. Kotra is one such location where the locals are fiercely attached to their tradition and find beauty in this only. Folklore is a mirror of the region’s culture since it highlights the customary beliefs and practices that have been passed down through generations.

"One such event will take place in the coming days, giving visitorsand opportunity to interact with tribals and the local tribal to showcase their art.” – Shikha Saxena, Director, Regional Tourism Office, Udaipur.

Festival preparations

Collector Tarachand Meena went to various locations, including the Government Eklavya Model School, the Krishi Mandi Complex and the Kotra Sports Ground.  After talking with the officials about parking, stall positions, visitor arrival and departure routes, essential preparations in case of overcrowding, and accommodations for folk performers, Tarachand Meena  provided them with necessary directions. In order to adequately address the issues in this tribal territory, the Collector also instructed to schedule a public hearing in Kotra seven days before the event.

Participants in the meeting, which was held at the Kotda Panchayat Samiti auditorium included local brand ambassador of Save the Girl Child, Dr. Divyani Katara; Pradhan Sugna Devi Kher; Sub-Divisional Officer, Hanuman Singh Rathod; Development Officer, Dhanpat Singh; Tehsildar, Magala Ram Meena; DPM Rajeevika, Anil Pahariya; Mandi Secretary, Madan Gurjar; Dr Surya Prakash Salvi from TAD, Deputy Director Tourism, Shikha Saxena; District Sports Officer, Shakeel Hussain; Sarpanch, Jayshree Devi; local public representatives, folk artists, NGOs, representatives of various organizations and social workers.

The Collector gave directives to invite native and international tourists, tribal folk artists and traders of traditional goods, jewelry, tools, craftsmanship, costumes, etc. to be a part of the festival and deliver a comprehensive message of tribal culture to the domestic and international community.