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Chandigarh Crafts Mela comes to a close with a footfall of 90,000
Featuring approximately 1,000 folk artistes from various states and around 200 craft stalls, offering exquisite handicrafts, this year, the fair was designed to be a vibrant celebration of India’s diverse cultural tapestry
The 13th edition of the annual Chandigarh National Crafts Mela at Kalagram, organised by the North Zone Cultural Centre (NZCC) in collaboration with the Chandigarh administration, proved to be a huge success with a turnout even better than before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last year, the fair was held in October, when the footfall was a dismal 15,000, despite the event returning after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Before this, the fair had received 82,000 visitors in 2019.
Featuring approximately 1,000 folk artistes from various states and around 200 craft stalls, offering exquisite handicrafts, this year, the fair was designed to be a vibrant celebration of India’s diverse cultural tapestry.
Through the 10 days of the fair, artistes from various states, including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttrakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur and Rajasthan, regaled the visitors with their folk dance and song performances.
Craft artisans, from far corners of the country, displayed a range of articles, including crockery, cutlery, fabrics, winter wear, jewellery, carpets, rugs, mats, footwear, designer suits and sarees, apart from furniture.
Among the range of handcrafted articles, the show-stopping visual treat was the elaborate display of clay images of horses and elephants at vantage points at the venue. Acclaimed sculptors from across various states were invited by NZCC to create these images at a sculpture camp organised back in November.
Punjabi singer Prabh Gill also enthralled the audience on the final day of the fair.
