11 — Cultural archive
Culture & Heritage
Weaves, embroideries, metalwork, painting and oral knowledge are living systems of skill and meaning, and for many households they are also a livelihood. This page records how the Ministry of Tribal Affairs presents and supports them.
01 — Approach
Culture as a knowledge system, not decoration
Official statement
The Ministry's newer cultural platforms describe their purpose in terms of knowledge. TribeX, the digital learning platform launched on 7 July 2026, is described as documenting, preserving and promoting "tribal languages, oral traditions, performing arts, cultural practices and indigenous knowledge systems for future generations". It offers 20 free certificate courses on tribal art forms, as well as UGC-recognised postgraduate diploma programmes.
Source-based analysis
This framing treats a weave or a painting tradition as knowledge held by a community, with its own techniques, vocabulary and economy. It moves away from treating them as ornament. It is also why cultural work and livelihoods overlap so much on this site: the same artisans appear in both.
A specimen index of the first RISA collection
The Minister launched RISA, a premium brand for tribal textiles, embroideries and crafts, at Sunder Nursery, New Delhi, on 18 March 2026. The first phase covers the ten traditions below. Communities and States are listed as PIB published them.
- R-01 Eri silk
- R-02 Santal cotton
- R-03 Changpa Pashmina
- R-04 Kotpad cotton
- R-05 Muga silk
- R-06 Dongria embroidery
- R-07 Toda embroidery
- R-08 Longpi pottery
- R-09 Turtuk brass cutlery
- R-10 Dokhra art
What the brand is meant to do
Official statement
According to the Ministry, RISA combines design work, capacity building and infrastructure for weaving and handicraft clusters. Its premium, eco-friendly packaging was developed by the National Institute of Design, Haryana. The name comes from the risa, Tripura's traditional handwoven stole. A dedicated RISA store opened in New Delhi in June 2026. On the 12th National Handloom Day, 7 August 2026, the RISA flagship store hosted "Tribal Weaves of India", which was inaugurated by the Secretary of the Ministry.
PIB, 18 Mar 2026 (opens in a new tab) PIB, 10 Jun 2026 (opens in a new tab) PIB, 7 Aug 2026 (opens in a new tab)
"tribal crafts are timeless yet undervalued, and platforms like Bharat Tribes Fest and RISA are bridging this gap through market access and fair profit-sharing."
Where tribal art meets the public, 2026
A season of Ministry platforms, in date order.
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2–13 Mar 2026
Tribes Art Fest 2026
Held at Travancore Palace, New Delhi, with FICCI and the National Gallery of Modern Art. It brought together more than 75 tribal artists and over 1,000 artworks from more than 30 art traditions. The Minister inaugurated the festival.
PIB release 2234758 (opens in a new tab)"From traditional forms to modern art, painting has evolved over centuries. The Ministry takes pride in promoting and preserving tribal art at risk of extinction while advancing tribal development."
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18 Mar – 5 Apr 2026
Bharat Tribes Fest 2026
The Aadi Mahotsav was restructured into the Bharat Tribes Fest, a platform meant to go beyond cultural celebration to market linkage. The Minister inaugurated it at Sunder Nursery. The Ministry reported more than 1.50 lakh visitors over its 19 days.
PIB release 2242221 (opens in a new tab) PIB release 2249178 (opens in a new tab) -
7 Jul 2026
TribeX digital learning platform
Launched by the Minister in Bhubaneswar at a national workshop on strengthening Tribal Research Institutes.
PIB release 2282208 (opens in a new tab)
Janjatiya Gaurav Divas
Since 2021, 15 November, the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, has been observed as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas.
Fact
A Gazette Notification dated 12 November 2021 declared 15 November Janjatiya Gaurav Divas. It honours the contribution of tribal heroes to the freedom struggle, especially Bhagwan Birsa Munda. From November 2024 to November 2025 the country observed Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh to mark his 150th birth anniversary.
In November 2024 the Minister reviewed preparations at Jamui, Bihar, where the Prime Minister led the national observance.
PIB, 4 Dec 2025 (opens in a new tab) PIB, 11 Nov 2024 (opens in a new tab)
"Prime Minister Modi has ensured that the contributions of tribal communities are acknowledged at the highest levels. It was under his leadership that the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda was declared as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, a commendable step in recognizing tribal history and heritage."
"Welcomed by the Ministry, our Tribal Guests carry forward the spirit of today's India — returning to their communities as ambassadors of awareness, progress, and inclusive nation-building."
Editorial standard. This page names communities only where an official source names them, and it does not generalise about any community. Quotations are the Minister's official statements, attributed as such. Photographs show public occasions, not community members.