Tourism can also be more meaningful if craftspeople are given a better stake in it
The annual folk and crafts festival, Lokotsav 2026, concluded on Thursday. Held at Darya Sangam, the lawns of the Kala Academy, there were more than 440 stalls displaying handicraft items and other products mainly produced by craftspeople from across the country. Besides this, there were some 500 artistes who presented folk dances and various music forms. The food court was also a huge attraction. Organised by the Directorate of Art and Culture along with the Udaipur-based West Zone Cultural Centre, Lokotsav celebrated its silver jubilee this year. It is an achievement for the government, as the Department of Art and Culture has been able to sustain the popular festival. It also showed the capacity of officers of the department to improvise on the festival irrespective of changes in governments.
The 10-day mela came on the heels of two to three other exhibitions held in the state recently. A two-day Tribal Festival held at Deao in Quepem concluded on January 18. It offered a glimpse into traditional living. The previous week saw a three-day tribal festival in Amona, Canacona. What started as a village initiative by the present Art and Culture Minister Ramesh Tawadkar 25 years ago, Canacona’s Adi Lokotsav has grown into a nationally recognised cultural festival. It is a platform to preserve tribal heritage, village culture and indigenous traditions through music, dance, rituals, food and crafts. Traditional utensils and implements, riddles, folk stories, folk songs, rituals and traditional medicines started coming back into use, carrying valuable knowledge from older generations, according to the organisers. One of its biggest achievements has been that the younger generation recognised and appreciated its own culture, along with the boost it gave to the local economy and tourism, according to Tawadkar. Almost at the same time, Panaji hosted the Goa Grameen Food Festival 2026 at the INOX Courtyard, showcasing rural Goan cuisine, local produce and products by women entrepreneurs.
While highlighting the diversity of crafts in the country is undoubtedly an important goal, Goa is yet to achieve the even more crucial task of bringing into focus the talent and diversity of its artisans to the outside world. The state is known for promises made to help showcase its craftspeople’s talent, but little has happened on this front so far. In 2009, there were plans for a Shilpagram project by the GHRSSIDC Ltd (Goa Handicrafts Rural and Small Scale Industries Corporation), meant to be a 14,400 sqm project conveniently located in Panaji, at a cost of Rs 5 crore at the time. Long ago, a crafts village was also to come up in Dhargalim, Pernem. One can find references to a Goa Bazaar, a South Asia Foundation-initiated Goa Crafts Village and the like. These remain on paper.
With the government now encouraging ‘vocal for local’, craftspeople need better infrastructure throughout the year to exhibit their skills and products. The Swayampurna concept can be pushed strongly, helping locals earn their livelihoods. Tourism can also be more meaningful if craftspersons are given a better stake in it. Global tourism destinations have shown the way. Holding such festivals is definitely good, as it gives new opportunities and a platform. The government has several schemes for them, but to what extent the authorities are able to get new people on board is not clear. It is not only the craftspeople who need support from the government but also the shoppers. The places where such festivals are held must be accessible to all people. At times, venues appear centrally located but suffer from parking and driving travails.
