I hadn’t heard of Chhindwara until a couple of weeks ago, when I was invited to the city to be a part of the second Corn Festival that was being organized here by the Agricultural Ministry of Madhya Pradesh. The traveler in me jumped in excitement at the prospect of getting to see a place I wasn’t aware existed. The foodie in me was happy that the visit ensured I’ll get to taste a wide variety of dishes made out of corn. So, I hopped on a plane to Nagpur (nearest Airport from Chhindwara, approx 130 km), excited to witness the Corn Festival, in all it’s glory.
Chhindwara which is around two and a half hour drive from Nagpur, got it’s name from the wild date palm which is known as ‘Chhind’ locally. Chhindwara is now termed as the ‘corn-city’ as it is the largest producer of corn in India. Though a tier three city, I found it much better than some of our big cities. Chhindwara has roads better than most of our metros, the city is sparking clean, almost ready to give competition to Indore to become the cleanest city of India. Exploring around Chhindwara for two days, I had this feeling that city seemed to be embracing a vibe of positive energy, all set to welcome their Chief Minister, Kamal Nath to inaugurate the Corn Festival.
The day of the festival began with blessings from the rain gods. To us metro-dwellers, it seemed like a dampener but we were proved wrong once again. With efforts of the management, along with the spirit of people of Chhindwara, the second Corn Festival turned to be a huge success. Brainchild of the current Chief Minister, this festival aimed to celebrate the city’s favorite crop, by hosting a range of events that included a speech by the CM to declare the event open, followed by art competitions, cultural programs showcasing the tribal culture of the area, knowledge sharing sessions between farmers and agro-scientists, various food-stalls set up by locals that brought center-stage different dishes made out of corn and a laser show along with a Bollywood Night.
Over 2 lakh people attended the Corn Festival this year, making it a huge success. This festival was unlike any food-festival I have seen before and interacting with the farmers was the highlight of the corn festival for me. It was good to know that they are prospering, their problems are being heard, and the local administration as well as the officers are a helping hand to the farmers whenever a need arises. So, everything is not gloomy like the news-channels show us. Somewhere in India, the farmers are happy. Here are some glimpses from the festival.
Such a unique festival! Being a foodie have always tried to attend as many food festivals I can but none have been as unique and quirky as a corn festival. does it happen every year? If yes, what are dates for the next one?
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Wow a corn festival! This looks really amazing. The thali the lady in the picture above is holding looks delicious. Will wait for this festival next year, hopefully travel will be possible then./.