Union Minister for Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated Saras Aajeevika Food Festival 2025 at Sunder Nursery, Bharat Scouts and Guides Marg, Nizamuddin, New Delhi today. Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Annapurna Devi was also present on this occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan said that our Lakhpati Didis have proved that they wield immense powers. In fact, they have written a new saga of progress, development and prosperity with their hard work. Today, Lakhpati Didis have come from 25 states and many of them are showing the way to the entire country with their qualities, hard work and dedication.

Welcoming Lakhpati Didis in the national capital, Shri Shivraj Singh said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is committed to the development of our sisters and the Union Rural Development Ministry is continuously working to realise this dream. “Why should any sister remain poor, why should she be dependent, why should she shed tears, instead she should march ahead with her skills and hard work,” Shri Shivraj Singh said.

Shri Shivraj Singh said that our country is unique. Despite different languages and attires, it unifies us as one. Our Didis who have come from different provinces and carry a spark of faith in their eyes. They have stepped out to scale the heights of prosperity through their hard work and skills.

Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh said that Saras Food Festival will feature dishes from every region. Taste, self-reliance, and indigenousness are all in one place. Our food reflects the flavour of India's culture; nowhere else one can find so many varieties of food and flavours. Indian cuisine is not just about taste, it truly has mother's teachings, grandmother's traditions and memories of the soil and this is why, I invite everyone to come to Saras Food Festival. What you find here is not available anywhere else because the dishes are made by the Didis.

Platform of women empowerment and livelihood

Saras Aajeevika Food Festival has become a strong platform to provide market and recognition to the women of self-help groups formed under the National Rural Livelihood Mission, especially hundreds of Lakhpati Didis. The festival aims to financially empower rural women, provide them self-employment opportunities and inspire other rural women.

Dishes from 25 states and open till December 9

The food festival will feature women from 25 states serving over 500 traditional and delicious dishes through 62 stalls. The festival will be open for public from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily until December 9th.

A glimpse of Indian culture and food

Many dishes like Himachali Seeddu, Tandoori Chai from Uttarakhand, Kalari Kulcha from Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabadi Dum Biryani, North Eastern Momo, Bengali Fried Fish, Kair Sagari from Rajasthan, Gatte ki Sabzi, Bajra Roti, Hilsa Fish Curry from Bengal, Chicken from Telangana Malabar Biryani of Kerala, Litti-Chokha of Bihar and Sarson Ka Saag-Maize Roti of Punjab are attracting the visitors. The festival is giving a glimpse of the cultural and social diversity of the country with the participation of many states including Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Gujarat.

Opportunity to get acquainted with rural products and social fabric

Along with food stalls, stalls of natural and rural products have also been set up through which visitors are getting acquainted with the economic and social stream of the villages. The festival has become an effective medium to showcase the rich traditions, self-reliance and women-led livelihood models of rural India.

 

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