Chandigarh: Crafts mela witnesses Sunday surge

Chandigarh, December 3

Residents from across the Tricity areas and elsewhere today converged on Kalagram where the National Crafts Mela is being hosted by the North Zone Cultural Centre (NZCC), Ministry of Culture, in association with the Department of Cultural Affairs, UT Administration.

Key stage performances included presentation of folk dances of various states, including natua of West Bengal, pandav nritya of Uttarakhand, dhamal of Haryana, karma of Chhattisgarh, mallakhamb and gotipua of Odisha, jindua and jhoomar of Punjab, jagarna of J&K, pung cholom/dhol cholom and raas of Manipur, lavani of Maharashtra, bhapang and kalbelia of Rajasthan, gudum baja of Madhya Pradesh and rathwa of Gujarat.

Special attraction of the day was an engaging rendition by Murli Rajasthani and Desert Symphony by Mushtaq Khan and group. Light vocal artiste Arjun Jaipuri and folk singer Sunita Dua Sehgal of Ambala also performed.

City shoppers had a field day as a range of handcrafted items were up for grabs. These included khurja pottery, designer crockery, cutlery, wooden toys, terracotta items, fabric, Phulkari, woollens and other winter wear, artificial jewellery, carpets, rugs, mats, designer suits and Banarsi saree, Patiala jutti etc. Furniture items, including sofa sets, dining sets, beds, settees were much in demand.

A specially created village scene, offering a typical rural backdrop depicting a slow-paced rural life with village folks performing their routine chores, working in the fields, tending ox-driven carts, old women working on spinning wheel, young girls drawing water from the common village well, agricultural appliances, ploughs, ploughshare, et al attracted the visitors. Food lovers were seen flocking to the food court offering a range of delicacies from diverse regions.

In the evening, Sufi singer of Punjab Lakhwinder Wadali had the audience spellbound with his songs.