Coimbatore MP, Collector inaugurate Madhi Food Festival

The Regional Level Madhi Food Festival 2026 was inaugurated at the VOC Park Grounds in Coimbatore by Coimbatore Member of Parliament Ganapathi Rajkumar and District Collector Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar.
The festival has been organised by the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department in association with the Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women. After inaugurating the event, the MP and the Collector visited the stalls and interacted with the participating women self-help group members.
Corporation Commissioner M. Sivaguru Prabakaran, Additional Collector (Development) Sangeth Balwant Wage, District Revenue Officer P. Narayanan, Mahalir Thittam Project Directors Mathura (Coimbatore) and Jayaraman (Nilgiris), Central Zone Assistant Commissioner Ganesan, officials of the Women Development Department and members of women self-help groups were present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, the Collector said the regional Madhi Food Festival is being held in Coimbatore from March 4 to March 8 to promote traditional and nutritious food prepared by women self-help groups from different districts of Tamil Nadu. The festival is open to the public every day from 1 pm to 9 pm and entry is free.
He said more than 100 varieties of traditional foods, millet-based dishes and regional non-vegetarian delicacies are being freshly prepared and served hygienically at the venue. Popular items include Kongu mutton biryani, chicken biryani, arisi paruppu sadam from Coimbatore, Virudhunagar bun parotta, Tirunelveli halwa, Salem thattu vadai set, Namakkal pallipalayam chicken, duck egg masala, Nilgiris ragi kali, Karur murungai soup, Krishnagiri ragi dishes, Nagapattinam fish fry, prawn vada, crab soup, mushroom biryani, millet-based snacks, ice creams and several varieties of beverages.
The Collector appealed to the public to visit the festival and support women self-help groups by purchasing the hygienically prepared traditional foods.
Speaking on the occasion, the MP said the festival was being conducted following the directions of the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to promote entrepreneurship among women through self-help groups functioning under the Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women.
He said 38 stalls have been set up showcasing special food items from districts including Coimbatore, Namakkal, Erode, Tiruppur, the Nilgiris, Salem, Karur, Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Nagapattinam and Dharmapuri.
Women self-help groups with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India certification are also selling packaged ready-to-eat products such as health mix, millet snacks, dry fruits, biscuits, homemade chocolates and children’s snacks prepared in a hygienic manner. He invited the public to visit the festival and encourage the efforts of women entrepreneurs.