SARAS Mela kicks off, stalls draw huge crowds on Day 1

Sanjiv Kumar Bakshi

Hoshiarpur, October 23

SARAS (Sale of articles of rural artisans’ society) Mela was inaugurated by Rural Development and Panchayat Minister, Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa. He was accompanied by local MLA and Minister for Industries and Commerce Sunder Sham Arora, Chabbewal MLA Dr Raj Kumar also accompanied him.

During the inaugural ceremony, a two-minute silence was observed to pay tribute to the deceased of Amritsar mishap. Though Dasehra fair concluded just yesterday, a considerable number of people visited the SARAS fair today.

Artistes performing stage activities, people showcasing ethnic diversity of the country, food and various other articles were put up on display during the fair.

“We came from Assam for bamboo items in the mela. Despite being the first day, we got overwhelming response,” said Raki Bul, handling one of the numerous stalls in the mela.

Cuisines from Rajasthan, Punjab, Kashmir, wooden articles from UP and MP, bamboo products from North East and pottery from Rajasthan were also the centre of attraction. The people mostly flocked the stalls having Kahwa from Kashmir.

“It is just marvelous. We had the chance to enjoy SARAS three years ago. While the ambience, the arrangements and security were the reasons why we visited the stall, the delicacies, stalls, articles at display and the cultural activities have made SARAS a must visit place in the evening for family and friends,” said Gautam, a city resident present in mela along with his family.

Deputy Commissioner Isha Kalia said the students accompanied by their teachers will get a free entry to the mela, while children below 10 years of age will also be allowed free entry to the event.

The entry fee for others has been fixed at a nominal Rs 10 per person. From 12 noon to 8 pm, professional artists from various states will regale the audience.