Folk dances, artisanal and food stalls big hits at Chandigarh crafts mela

The ongoing 15th Chandigarh National Crafts Mela has emerged as a unique confluence of cultural heritage, offering composite colours of various states.

A quiz contest held at the fair, a joint venture of the North Zone Cultural Centre (NZCC) and the UT Administration, attracted 550 schools students from Tricity, Patiala, and Ropar. An on-the-spot photography competition on the theme “Glimpses from Crafts Mela” was also held under the aegis of Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademy on the theme.

Colourful stage performances featured chari from Rajasthan, songi and lavani from Maharashtra, bihu from Assam among others. The evening segment brought to stage folk dances from Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Tripura as well as Jammu and Kashmir.

Foodies also had a field day with an array of traditional cuisines on offer. Starting with Rajasthan’s dal bati churma, to Gujarat’s sev poori and Himachal’s siddu, the options were plenty.

A steady rush of buyers was also witnessed at the stalls showcasing handicraft items. Visitors were also treated to a performance by singers Anuj Sharma and Khushboo Bhardwaj.

Sculptures intrigue visitors

Larger-than-life images dotting the Kalagram grounds also turned into a talking point. Prominent among them are images of all the zodiac signs, a steam engine, a ‘charkha’, a Punjabi jutti, dancing feet, a bugle, a violin, an old camera set, a piano and many more.

Mohd Furqan Khan, firector, NZCC, said they wanted to add something new to the fest to make it big ticket event and cater to the taste of art lovers.“Sculpted out of stone, they gave young and upcoming artists an outlet to express themselves,” he added.