Surajkund International Crafts Mela 2016
Event Information
At a glance
Celebrated at: Surajkund, Faridabad (Just 8 km from South Delhi)
Celebrated during: 1st to 15th February
Main attractions: Rich showcase of regional and international crafts and folk traditions
A splash of colours, rhythm of drum beats and joy de-vivre merge at Surajkund in Faridabad, Haryana during the first fortnight of each February. The curtains go up on the acclaimed annual Surajkund International Crafts Mela from 1st February onwards, a celebration of Indian folk traditions and cultural heritage.
Occupying a place of pride on the international tourist calendar, more than a million visitors throng the Mela during the fortnight including thousands of foreign tourists. The Surajkund Mela is unique as it showcases the richness and diversity of the handicrafts, handlooms and cultural fabric of India, & is the largest crafts fair in the world.
The Mela is organized by the Surajkund Mela Authority & Haryana Tourism in collaboration with Union Ministries of Tourism, Textiles, Culture and External Affairs. For the 30th Surajkund International Crafts Mela-2016, the state of Telangana has been chosen to be the Theme State. At least 20 countries & all the states of India will be participating in the Mela.
A large number of renowned national and international folk artistes and cultural groups present day performances at both the Chaupals, the open-air theatres, located in the Mela premises. Also enthralling cultural evening programmes are held at the main Chaupal during each of the Mela evening. The Mela is indeed a custodian of the heritage crafts involving use of traditional skills that are fading away due to cheap machine made imitations, and a special section is earmarked for showcasing of these heritage crafts.
The multi-cuisine Food Court provides ethnic cuisines from all over the world, which are immensely popular with visitors. There are designated places for amusement, adventure sports and joy rides to make it a must visit event for the young.
In 2013, the fair was upgraded to an international level and in 2015, a record number of 20 countries participated in the Mela and Lebanon was the Partner Nation and Chhattisgarh, the Theme State.
Theme State
The novelty of the Surajkund International Crafts Mela is that one of the Indian states gets the honour to occupy the position of the Theme State each year. The Theme State was conceptualized broadly with a view to promote and focus on art, craft and cuisine of each state of India every year.
Telangana will be the Theme State for the 30th Surajkund International Crafts Mela-2016. The Mela provides a rare opportunity to the Theme State to showcase its handicrafts, handlooms, performing arts, cuisine and its tourist potential to a vast cross-section of people in an impressive manner.
Telangana’s diverse crafts and dance forms will offer a veritable treat for visitors. Get ready to witness Telangana’s rich culture, tradition and exclusive artefacts made by the artisans that are in great demand throughout the world. Telangana’s historical designs on cloth and folk and traditional arts are well known and have been passed down to generations of artisans and weavers.
NOTE ON SURAJKUND INTERNATIONAL CRAFTS MELA
1st – 15th February
The Surajkund International Crafts Mela is organized every year from
1st to 15th February. It is a celebration of India folk traditions and cultural heritage in an ambience specially created to represent the ethos of rural India.
A signature calendar event of the Haryana Tourism &SurajkundMela Authority, the Mela is held in collaboration with the Union Ministries of Textiles, Culture, Tourism and External Affairs.
To preserve the languishing arts & crafts of India, Surajkund Crafts Mela was hosted for the first time in 1987. The Mela has paved a path for establishing a conducive environment for craftspersons to directly market their wares while eliminating the middlemen.
The Mela is a lifetime experience where one explores an exquisite mix of thatched huts, folksongs, flamboyant colours, ornate crafts and aroma of different cuisines. This is a sincere endeavour to pay homage to the traditional arts & crafts of rural India.
The Mela ground is spread over 40 acres that houses about 766 work huts hosting craftspersons and weavers. A separate section is earmarked for heritage art & crafts. Surajkund Mela is a lifetime experience where one explores an exquisite conglomeration of thatched huts, folksongs, flamboyantcolours, intricate crafts and aroma of different cuisines.
In 2013, the Mela was upgraded to an international level and now, every year, more and more countries are vying for participation in this largest Crafts Fair of the world. The Mela attracts over a million visitors from every section of society. In 2015,
20 countries participated in the Mela.
Scintillating folk dance performances by cultural artistes at the two ‘Chaupals’ offer non-stop entertainment and draw thousands of visitors every day. Special evening cultural programmes further add to the charm of the Mela.
The multi-cuisine Food Courts serve ethnic cuisines from different parts of the world, enticing visitors with gastronomic pleasures. There are designated places for amusement and joyrides to make it a must-visit event for children and youngsters.
Mela timings: 10.30am- 8.30 pm
Townhall Learn More
