Punjab’s footwear, Himachal’s wool a big draw at trade fair

Srinagar, February 3

From honey to basmati, Basholi painting and Chikri craft to Punjabi footwear, and Rajasthani sweets to Himachal Pradesh’s wool, the ongoing Jammu trade fair has a variety of special items on display from various states of the country.

The fair has been attracting hundreds of visitors daily since it began on January 31. Officials said the fair is based on a unique revenue-generating model where the government was not asked to pay anything. Instead, they said, sponsors from within and outside J&K covered the costs.

The trade fair, hosting around a hundred stalls, has representation from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. “From Punjab and Haryana, we have textile items and footwear, which were highly sought after by visitors,” the officials said. They added that Rajasthani stalls offering sweets are in huge demand. Kärcher from Germany, the officials said, is not only sponsoring the event but also participating in it. Amazon and JSW are also among the sponsors.

From Kashmir, handicraft items like shawls and various food items such as spices and khewa are available. There are clothes tailored by women entrepreneurs from Baramulla. The fair also has toys, perfumes, wall decorations, woolen items, and Himachal-based ruffles.