The Surajkund Crafts Mela is back with a bang.

The difference this time round is that, though the mela will be open from February 1, President Pranab Mukherjee is scheduled to formally inaugurate it on February 2. From this year, the fair will be known as the Surajkund International Crafts Mela with 22 countries, as well as SAARC nations participating in it including Pakistan.

This year Karnataka has returned as the theme state in this mela after 18 years. The last time Karnataka was the theme state for the fair was in 1994.