The Mann Deshi Mahotsav 2025 to celebrate rural entrepreneurship, traditional crafts, and indigenous culture began at Nare Park, Parel, on Wednesday. The festival, organised by the Mann Deshi Foundation, will continue till Sunday, February 9.
The festival features rural cuisine, cultural performances, crafts, and workshops. The Mahotsav aims to bring the richness of rural Maharashtra, Silvassa, and Karnataka to Mumbai, creating an platform for women entrepreneurs. The Mann Deshi Foundation is named after Mann Desh in Maharashtra’s Satara district.
The Mann Deshi Foundation, founded in 1996 by social entrepreneur Chetna Sinha, empowers rural women, helping them make their own choices, celebrating their contributions as equal and valuable members of their families and communities. Together with Mann Deshi Bank, the Foundation provides comprehensive business support to rural women entrepreneurs, enabling them to thrive and build successful businesses.
The food stalls will feature food from the areas where the group works, like gavran mutton, bhakri, thalipeeth, Kolhapuri misal, and maaswadi. On display will be crafts, including jen and ghongadi which are traditional jewelry, Kolhapuri chappals, and pottery. The festival will feature hands-on workshops where visitors can learn traditional crafts directly from women artisans. These workshops include Warli painting, a tribal art form, and live jewelry-making sessions, offering a deeper insight into the heritage of rural Maharashtra.
There will be cultural events to showcase folk arts such as the energetic Gajji dance. The event will also feature wrestling matches showcasing the strength and skill of girl athletes. Singer Avadhoot Gupte will also perform at the venue.
A farmers’ produce market will showcase and sell fresh produce directly from Mann Deshi’s farmers. Visitors can purchase natural and organic products such as goat ghee, forest honey, palm date jaggery, pomegranate, and strawberry.
The Mahotsav will feature an interactive exploration of the rural lifestyle, allowing Mumbaikars to experience folk traditions of Mann Deshi, such as the Nandi Bail (bull), and the traditional dance, Pingala.
According to the Foundation, their work in rural Maharashtra, Silvassa, and Karnataka, has benefited over a million women.
