Music, folk dances fill Kalagram with joy & jollity on Day 8 of Chandigarh National Crafts Mela

Chandigarh, December 8

The sprawling Kalagram was filled with jollity on Day 8 of the Chandigarh National Crafts Mela as thousands of people thronged the venue to attend the event jointly organised by the North Zone Cultural Centre and the UT Administration.

Key morning stage performances were folk dances of various states, such as balti (Ladakh), dogri (J&K), thappattam (Tamil Nadu), hojagiri (Tripura) and Thang Ta (Manipur). The evening session witnessed a slew of tribal and folk dance shows, including an engaging ragini performance by musical artist Rakesh Bharaniya. Prominent among the dances were machhi (Dadra and Nagar Haveli), dhamali (J&K), cheraw (Mizoram), wangala (Meghalaya), bihu (Assam), mayur (UP) and bhangra (Panjab).

Shoppers were on cloud nine to have a range of traditional products to choose from. Among the handmade and handcrafted items on display was a range of pottery, including cups, plates, trays, toys, earthen pots, flower vases, crockery and cutlery, among others. Traditional winter wear was also up for grabs at stalls.

The visitors flocked to the food court, which housed some 20 stalls, in droves. They were not disappointed, as they had a wide range of appetising cuisines and culinary wonders to gorge on. A special quiz session was organised, in which 150 students from various government and non-government institutions across the tricity participated. Music lovers braved the biting December cold to catch a live performance of Punjabi singer Joban Sandhu, who belted out some of his favourite numbers.