Surajkund Fair brings artisans across generations together

The Surajkund Craft Festival features 1,230 stalls showcasing traditional arts from across India, despite recent accidents leading to ride closures.

At the 39th Surajkund International Atmanirbhar Craft Festival, stalls line the grounds with artisans standing beside their work — their each piece telling a story. From Banarasi sarees and Odisha’s palm leaf painting to Rajasthani dolls, every year, the festival brings together a range of artwork from across the country.

Many of these stalls are a little windows into family legacies and protecting traditional practises. (HT Photo)

This year, there are 1,230 stalls. Many of these are a little windows into family legacies and protecting traditional practises.

Madan Lal, 54, said his mother, Bhawari Devi,had set up their first stall here during the first edition in 1987. “Back then, there were only 10-11 stalls. After my father passed away in 1991, I began accompanying her. Over the years, I have seen the fair grow.”

After the mother’s death, Madan and his wife, Gulab Devi, 50, are carrying on the family’s legacy. “We make traditional dolls and puppets. My mother-in-law’s ‘charkhi’ (spinning wheel) was famous in our native village, Nagaur in Rajasthan. However, it has become quite difficult to sell our products now. The regulars still come to our stall,” she said.

Damodar Fatesingh, 46-year-old, from Odisha is displaying his Pattachitra (palm leaf painting) work. This is his second time at the mela but the craft has been part of his life since he was a child.

“I learnt the art from my father, and he learnt it from his father. Today, many people use pens, but we still follow the traditional method. First, I engrave the design using an iron needle. Then, black colour is applied to highlight the details,” he explained. His paintings depict episodes from the Indian mythologies of Ramayana and Mahabharata.

At another part of the fair, visitors gathered as Rohtash Nath played the ‘been’ — a type Indian wind instrument. Nath is a renowned ‘been’ artist, holding a Guinness World Record. He also performed at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010.

“This instrument represents one of the oldest skills. Even snakes sway to its tunes, so why wouldn’t humans?” he said, smiling.

Nath shared that he has been playing it since he was 10. “It saddens me that one of the country’s oldest art forms is slowly fading. The younger generation does not seem interested in learning it,” he said.

Yet, his resolve remains firm. “I will continue to revive and preserve this art form as long as I live,” he added.

The fair started on January 15 and will continue till February 15.

On February 7, at least 12 people were injured during a swing crash with a a policeman being killed during rescue operations. While rides remain closed, the stalls near the amusement park reopened on Monday.

Harvinder Yadav, nodal officer at Surajkund, said, “As of Tuesday, over 0.9 million people visited the fair.The rides will remain closed until the inquiry is completed,” he said.