Ujjain buzzes with anticipation as Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav inaugurates the trailblazing ‘Mahakal Van Mela’ on February 11 at Dasahara Maidan, Sethi Nagar. Spanning five days till February 16, this forest department showcase themed ‘Prosperous Forests, Happy People’ makes history as the city’s debut forest fair.
Yadav’s agenda features the debut of ‘Mahakal Van Prasad’ and the launch of ‘Mahakal Smriti Upahar’ from the MFP Processing and Research Center. Centered on non-wood forest products, it unites tribal gatherers statewide to demonstrate protection, enhancement, processing, and commerce of their yields.
Diverse exhibitors – NTFP harvesters, Van Dhan units, primary societies, vendors, and Ayurvedic enterprises – will trade actively. The program enriches with purchaser-vendor forums, no-cost consultations from herbal experts, festive cultural displays, and forest-sourced eats.
Thoughtful facilities cater to all: kids’ fun zones, wheelchair/golf cart access, shaded seats, refreshment stops, selfie corners. Crowd-pleasers include cheetah family installations, enormous dinosaur sculpture, OPD patient lounges, temple-to-mela shuttles, and elder accommodations.
Honors await: CM will award certificates to divisional forest officers, Panna South union’s managing director, and a forest guard. Symbolizing state resolve, the mela bridges sacred Ujjain with forest economies, promising lasting gains for communities and conservation.