Posted On:
10 JUL 2026 2:24PM by PIB Dehradun
The Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India, in collaboration with the Government of Uttarakhand, will organise the 6th edition of Lok Samvardhan Parv at Parade Ground, Dehradun from 11-15 July, 2026. The five-day event will be inaugurated on Saturday i.e., on 11th July, 2026 by Union Minister for Minority Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju in the presence of Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, Minister for Minority Welfare, Government of Uttarakhand, Shri Khajan Das, and senior officials of the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Government of Uttarakhand. The festival will remain open to the public free of cost till 15 July 2026.
The Dehradun edition marks a significant milestone as it is the first Lok Samvardhan Parv to be organised in partnership with a State Government. Uttarakhand has become the first State to collaborate with the Ministry of Minority Affairs for organising this flagship event under the Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) scheme. The initiative reflects the Ministry's renewed focus on strengthening Centre-State collaboration for preserving India's rich traditional arts, crafts and culinary heritage while promoting sustainable livelihoods.
Since its launch in 2024, the Ministry of Minority Affairs, with the support of the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC), has successfully organised five editions of Lok Samvardhan Parv, benefiting more than 550 artisans and culinary experts. The festival provides artisans, weavers, craftspersons, culinary experts and entrepreneurs, particularly from minority communities, with a national platform for market access, business development and promotion of traditional livelihoods.
The sixth edition of Lok Samvardhan Parv features around 150 exhibition stalls showcasing a diverse range of traditional handicrafts, handloom products and heritage crafts from across the country. Nearly 40 per cent of the stalls are dedicated to the rich arts and crafts of Uttarakhand, providing local artisans with a unique platform to display their craftsmanship. The remaining stalls represent traditional art forms from various States and Union Territories, including Kashmiri handicrafts, Ajrakh block printing, lac bangles, wooden crafts, brassware, terracotta, cane and bamboo products, handloom textiles and several other traditional crafts. In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to savour delicacies from different parts of the country, including traditional Garhwali, Rajasthani, Maharashtrian, Luckhnavi, and Kumaoni cuisine, at 20 food stalls.
During the five-day festival, visitors will be able to witness live craft demonstrations by master artisans, participate in buyer-seller interactions and attend entrepreneurship and digital marketing sessions aimed at strengthening market access and business opportunities for artisans and entrepreneurs.
The cultural evenings will showcase the vibrant folk traditions of Uttarakhand through performances by local cultural groups, followed by presentations by renowned artists. On the inaugural day, celebrated ghazal maestro Talat Aziz will perform, while subsequent evenings will feature performances by Jyoti Nooran, Kishan Mahipal, Vivek Nautiyal, Maya Upadhyay, Uttarakhand's renowned folk band 'Pandavaas', and Parmish Verma, offering visitors a vibrant celebration of India's diverse cultural heritage.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs has invited citizens, tourists, students, buyers, exporters and craft enthusiasts to visit Lok Samvardhan Parv at Parade Ground, Dehradun, from 11 to 15 July 2026, between 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM, and experience India's rich cultural, artistic and culinary traditions.