Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday inaugurated the 36th International Surajkund Mela at Faridabad. “India has become the fastest-growing country in the world in terms of the global economy in which art and craftsmen have made significant contributions. Earlier, our country was in tenth place in the world in terms of economic progress, whereas under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it has now jumped to fifth and I am hopeful that India will soon be at the first position, he said.
Praising the Surajkund Mela being organized by Manohar Lal-led Haryana Government, Dhankar said that this fair has an important contribution to make India shine bright on the world map.
Surajkund Mela Makes Concept of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ More Meaningful: Khattar
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that it is a matter of pride that the Vice-President has inaugurated the Surajkund Mela; which gives a golden opportunity to artisans from India and as well as participating countries to present their rich legacy of arts and crafts. “Along with strengthening the ties of unity in the diversity of our country, Surajkund International Crafts Mela also takes forward the concept of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’,” he said.
SCO is Fair’s ‘Partner Nation’, 8 Northeastern states its theme
The Chief Minister said that every year, there is a participating nation and a theme state. “For this year, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is the ‘partner nation’, which comprises 25 countries, while eight northeastern states, namely Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura, have been made the theme states,” he said.
“The artists of these states will come together to showcase their arts, handicrafts, and cuisines on a single platform,” he said, adding that starting today, this fair will continue till February 19, during which three weekends will come so that the maximum number of people can get a chance to visit this Mela.
The Chief Minister said that the beauty of this handicrafts Mela is that it is equipped with artifacts drenched with the imagination of artists and craftsmen from the country and abroad. “Such fairs provide an opportunity for the craftsmen to exchange their rich culture, traditions, and arts,” he said, adding that at Surajkund, visitors get a glimpse of ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’.
The Chief Minister said that it is because of the International Surajkund Mela and the International Gita Mahotsav that Haryana’s cultural heritage has made its mark internationally. “For the last 35 years, Surajkund Mela has been a great platform for craftsmen and handloom artisans to showcase their skills. This Mela allows every artist to get acquainted with the folk arts, folk cuisine, folk music, folk dances, and costumes of different regions,” he added.
Surajkund Mela Plays Key Role in Boosting Economic Self-Reliance
Khattar said that Surajkund Mela and other similar fairs also play an instrumental role in boosting the country's economic self-reliance target. “We all should take pride in the arts-crafts made by the craftsmen of the country and give priority to the products made by them. By doing this we can help the artisans and small entrepreneurs in our area to grow economically,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that the State Government has made dedicated efforts to promote tourism in the state. “We are promoting farm tourism, adventure tourism, cultural tourism, and religious tourism. A ‘Homestay Policy’ has also been started in the state,” he added.
