Surajkund mela kicks off after 2 yrs

Bijendra Ahlawat

Faridabad, March 19

The 35th Surajkund International Crafts Mela got off to a colourful start here this evening. It was jointly inaugurated by Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

Over 1,100 craftsmen and 500 artisans and performers from the country and abroad are taking part in this event, which has been delayed by over one-and-a-half months due to the Covid pandemic. The event will run upto April 4. While Jammu and Kashmir is the theme state, Uzbekistan is the partner nation of the mela.

Describing the mela as quintessence of cultural fusion, the Governor in his address said, “The fair has emerged as an impressive platform of the rich cultural heritage of not only the country, but has also acquired an international accreditation of an unparalleled fame due to rise of both participants and visitors.”

Claiming that such occasions go a long way in promotion of the traditional and locally made products, the Chief Minister said there was a need to promote facilitation of platforms to ensure popularising of arts and crafts.

He said as there was a need to connect the younger generation with heritage, the Surajkund mela had proved its worth by growing up as a platform of strong cultural growth. The chief guests went around some stalls and interacted with artisans.

Earlier, the Governor and the Chief Minister arrived at the Surajkund tourist spot via helicopter around 6 pm. They were accorded a traditional welcome by officials and craftspeople.

Besides the partner nation Uzbekistan, artisans from Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Namibia, Sudan, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Senegal, Angola, Ghana, Thailand, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Iran, Maldives and some Latin American countries are taking part in the mela. The fair was cancelled for the first time in 2021, in its 35 years old history, in wake of the Covid pandemic.

Spread over 43 acres the mela venue has 1,183 huts for craftsperson.

Special bus facility has been provided from Delhi, Gurugram and local city for visitors.

100 CCTVs for surveillance

With over 100 CCTVs, 2,500 cops have been deployed for continuous surveillance with the help of drones. While the cost of entry tickets remain unchanged at Rs 120 (weekdays) and Rs 180 (Saturday and Sunday), visitors can also book tickets online on Paytm app and official website of Haryana Tourism.