The 11th Chandigarh National Crafts Mela kick started on Friday at Kalagram here.
Comprehending to the theme 'West to East', artisans from Gujarat to Nagaland and also from Kashmir to Telangana and Tamil Nadu, has put up 200 stalls, to sell handicrafts, handlooms, fabrics, home decor items and much more.
The Mela inaugurated by UT Finance Secretary Ajoy Kumar Sinha, is a joint venture of North Zone Cultural Center, Ministry of Culture, Government of India and Chandigarh Administration.
Folk dancers from Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, gave performances on the opening day. A tribute to Guru Nanak Dev was also paid during the inaugural ceremony to mark his 550th anniversary.
Craftsmen offering ethnic goods including paintings jewellery, shawls, bedsheets, toys etc are looking up for good business this year. On the day one, a stall selling Banarasi silk sarees, dupattas and cotton silk dress material caught the attention of many visitors. The sarees range from 4,000 to 12,000 and dupattas between 500 to 1200.
"We have been doing this work for generations", says Riyazuddin Ansari, from Benaras, who comes to the fair every year. He has received the National Award in 2014 and was felicitated by former President Pranab Mukherjee.
"The material is woven on handlooms where as the designs are done by a specific family member or an expert from outside. On an average it takes seven days to four months to weave a silk saree,” he informed.
The crockery sellers from Khurja, Uttar Pradesh and potters from Pokhran, Rajasthan have a great variety of products made out of clay and terracotta. Not to miss the hand and machine woven carpets from Badhoi, Uttar Pradesh.
On the other side of the Mela, the Food Court has stalls from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. The stalls for Chinese food are a latest edition. CITCO like every year has mouth watering North Indian cuisines to serve. Apart from traditional food, the Court also offers ice creams, pop corn, juices and tandoori chai.
The venue also has different rides and swings for the visitors especially children. One can enjoy camel rides and live performances by folk artists like Been Jogis from Haryana and Baaazigars from Punjab and kachchi ghodis from Rajasthan.
