Sirhind Crafts Mela kickstarts today

Our Correspondent

Fatehgarh Sahib, March 6

The first Sirhind Crafts Mela will begin at Aam Khas Bagh from March 7. The event, being organised by the district administration in collaboration with the Cultural Society on the pattern of Patiala Heritage Mela, will culminate on March 15.

Artifacts from different parts of the country will be displayed. More than 150 artisans and Self-help Groups (SHGs), manufacturing organic farm products, will be participating in the programme.

“Punjabi Sufi singer Satinder Sartaj and various artistes will perform cultural activities,” said Deputy Commissioner Amrit Kaur Gill here on Friday.

Jaspreet Singh ADC (G), who is the nodal officer for the event, said various folk dance performances and handicrafts would be showcased. There would also be stalls, where visitors could buy branded merchandise.

Fine metalwork (tarkashi, bidri, brass and copper engraving), traditional jewellery (agate silver, kundan, meenakari), textiles (chicken, batik, Gujarati embroidery and mirror work, kantha, block printing, kalamkari, zari, sozni and a myriad of other weavings) will catch the fancy of visitors.

Then there will be pottery (Jaipur blue pottery, terracotta, ceramics and block pottery), painting miniatures, glass painting, pattachitra and much more.

Jaspreet Singh, Assistant Commissioner-cum-coordinator of the mela, said a vintage car rally would be held on March 14. It would pass through Khamano, Bassi Pathana and Fatehgarh Sahib.

Giving details about the cultural programmes, he said the mela would be inaugurated on March 7.