Shoppers alert! Handicrafts, art, and more at the 32nd Surajkund International Crafts Mela

Indulge your senses with dance performances, food kiosks, replicas of famous sculptures from various states, and over 1,000 work huts hosting craftspersons and weavers.

A plethora of colours, a rich display of regional and international crafts, and dance performances — the ongoing 32nd Surajkund International Crafts Mela, organised by the Surajkund Mela Authority and Haryana Tourism in collaboration with Union Ministries of Tourism, Textiles, Culture and External Affairs, is a cultural melting pot of sorts.

Head to the Surajkund International Crafts Mela 2018, on till February 18, at Surajkund, Faridabad. (Raajessh Kashyap/HT)

Explore traditional hats, stoles, and accessories made of sheep wool, at stall No. FC 4.

This year, Uttar Pradesh is the theme state and Kyrgyzstan is the partner nation. With participation from 20 countries and Indian states, there is a wide variety of products for shoppers to splurge on. Take your pick from tribal artifacts from South Africa, wearable wooden ties from West Bengal, silver jewellery from Morocco, and Pashmina stoles from Nepal, or head to the stalls of Kyrgyzstan for traditional hats, jewellery, and stoles made of sheep wool.

A group of performers from Kyrgyzstan.

A glimpse of Haryana Prison’s stall No. 820, featuring artworks by inmates.

Along with an array of scrumptious delicacies on offer, the cultural performances at the open air ‘chaupal’, will keep visitors entertained. The stall by Haryana Prisons is a huge draw, featuring paintings and wooden sculptures by inmates of Faridabad, Gurgaon, Sonipat, Hisar, and Bhiwani jails, among others. Their prices start from ₹20, and go up till ₹35,000.

“This is our third year at Surajkund Mela. The first year, we put up products only for display. However, since last year, we’ve been selling our products, and have received a wonderful response. The inmates are taught various skills in prisons and the initiative is aimed at helping in their rehabilitation,” says Anil Kumar, Superintendent of Prisons, Faridabad, who is also the Nodal Officer, Prison Department, Haryana.

Photo frames, mobile wallet bags, and more by Haryana Welfare Society for persons with speech and hearing impairment at stall No. 974.

The annual fair this year is a child-friendly event that highlights zero tolerance towards child rights violation. Uttam Kumar from Child Line Foundation shared, “Details of every child that enters the mela will be noted down. We are creating identification numbers for children through a software, which will be given to them via bands. So, any child that gets lost can be tracked easily .”

From selfies to impromptu jigs, the joy was palpable among the attendees. Valeriya from Russia told us, “We love the atmosphere here. There is so much to buy; we are confused where to begin.” For the regulars too, the mela is a must visit each year. “I have been visiting the mela for ten years now. I met with an accident recently, but I couldn’t resist coming despite being on a wheelchair,” said Peenaz Godara, a hospitality professional from Gurgaon.

Watch out for the folk dance performance from Uttar Pradesh (February 12) and musical act by Chand Nizami Brothers (February 14), among others, in the coming days.

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