18 states’ handicraft available at Saras Mela

MANDI: Handmade products from 18 states have been made available at Saras Mela in Mandi town during the week-long Shivratri fair. While a majority of businessmen are lamenting poor footfall, there are others who are doing brisk business. The fair will conclude tomorrow, but they will be allowed to do business till February 23.

Devotees pay obeisance to a deity

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, February 20

Handmade products from 18 states have been made available at Saras Mela in Mandi town during the week-long Shivratri fair.

While a majority of businessmen are lamenting poor footfall, there are others who are doing brisk business. The fair will conclude tomorrow, but they will be allowed to do business till February 23.

Manoj Kumar from Gujarat said he has been attending the festival for the last five years, but was quite disappointed this time because of poor response in business.

He has suits and saris at his stall, but no one is available to purchase it. He said: “The business was not that good this time and I am expecting little increase in sales in the next two days.”

Karam Chand, however, is doing good business by selling dry flowers. He belongs to Bala Ji self-help group in Panipat, Haryana. The handmade flowers are attracting people, especially housewives, in large numbers at the stall. The cost of one flower stick varies from Rs10 to Rs60, depending on its size and labour cost.

Karam Chand said: “I did good business ever since the fair started and am hoping little increase in the next two days.”

Meanwhile, women from a self-help group in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, are selling pickles and sauce of different products at one of the stalls. They, too, are expecting good business in the next two days.

A majority of self-help groups at the Saras Mela are feeling the pinch of low footfall. The District Rural Development Authority provides stall for free, beside some other facilities, to promote the sale of handicraft items, as it is becoming a dying art. Handmade products are costly as compared to machine-made ones, which is why those involved in this trade have a major challenge to sustain their livelihood.

Deputy Director Rural Development Authority, Mandi, Pradip Kumar said last year 20 states participated, while this year 18 states, including Himachal, are participating in the fair. There are total 102 stalls of different self-help groups, who will be allowed to do business till February 23. The stalls are provided for free besides other facilities to promote handicraft.