Beej Utsav

A four-day ‘Beej Utsav’ (seed festival) took place in June 2025 at the tribal tri-junction of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. The festival underscored the vital role of indigenous seeds in agricultural sustainability.

Key Highlights

• Focus: The event highlighted the importance of indigenous seeds and saw tribal farmers pledge to rebuild community-led seed systems.
• Participation & Learning: Members of tribal communities, including women and children, learned techniques for preserving indigenous seeds for use in various crop seasons.
• Exhibited Varieties: The festival showcased indigenous seeds of grains, pulses, vegetables, and fruits, including several rare and forgotten varieties.
  • Traditional Fruits: Examples included wild mango, Aakol, and Timru.
  • Traditional Grains: Featured Doodh Mogar (native maize), along with paddy varieties like Kali Kamod and Dhimri.
  • Indigenous Vegetables: Varieties such as karingda (wild melon), small bitter gourd, and naari bhaji (water spinach) drew particular attention, with participants noting their use for domestic consumption.

(Source: TH)