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February 1, 2010 | Hamid Ansari inaugurates Surajkund Crafts Mela | New Delhi: Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari inaugurated the internationally acclaimed annual Surajkund Crafts
Mela on Monday at Surajkund near New Delhi. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was present on the occasion with Jagannath Pahadia, the Governor of Haryana.
Union Minister for Tourism, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Kumari Selja
and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot were also present along with a host
of other dignitaries. The 15-day festival has participant craftsmen with exquisite
talents not only from the length and breadth of the country, but even from countries
like Tajikistan, Thailand and Egypt besides the neighbouring SAARC nations. State
of Rajasthan is the theme state this time. The Mela also offers the participating
craftsmen a direct opportunity and exposure to market their products to the end
users. Organized primarily under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Tourism, the
Mela is a collective and concerted effort of agencies like Development
Commissioners
of Handicrafts, Handlooms and Union Ministries of Culture and External Affairs,
Haryana Tourism and the Tourism Department of the theme State as they jointly
conduct and coordinate the arrangements of the Mela. The Mela happens to be one
amongst the most important and popular event in the annual national calendar
organised
in and around Delhi. The number of visitors that stood at over 7 lakhs last year
is expected to increase substantially this time. This year a high level team of
Sri Lanka consisting of 25 persons is visiting Surajkund Crafts Mela to study
the aspects of its conduct in totality with a view to replicate it. More than
400 craftsmen sponsored by Development Commissioners Handicrafts and
Handlooms,
Ministry of Textiles, Rajasthan Government and other organisations of international
repute have started reaching the venue to setup their exhibition cum sale counters
within the Mela area. The area shall be flooded with over 200 day performers of
folk dance, drama and other skills, including Octave dance group from North-East,
folk dances include Kaal Belia (Rajasthan), Siddi Goma (Gujarat), Brij Ki Holi
and Charkula (U.P.), Bhangra (Punjab), Been Spera and Banchari (Haryana), 'Tajik
Dances', "Egyptian Tannoura Dance" and "Thai Traditional Dances", performing
throughout
the day in various corners for 15 days. In the evening, there would be daily cultural
performances from 6 p.m. onwards in the nearby Open Air Theatre named
Natyashala.
The food court within the Mela premises shall have the cuisine from across the
country. Yielding to the popular suggestion, an extensive amusement park has been
set up next to the Shekhawati gate for the benefit of children. The Mela shall
have a number of competitions for school/college students. There would also be
an Exporters' Meet organized by office of D.C. Handicrafts on February 11. The
security has been tightened in and around the Mela area. Extensive arrangements
for parking space have been planned and efficient and attractive ferry arrangements
have been made to bring visitors from the parking place to the entrance. |
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