32nd Largest Surajkund International Craft Mela 2018 – Top Ten Events in Store for you

HHaving burst onto the scenes, for the very first time in 1987 – the Surajkund International Crafts Mela 2018, is all set to represent India on arguably the biggest handicraft stage, yet again.

Organised every year by the Surajkund Mela Authority and the Haryana Tourism in collaboration with Union Ministries of Culture, Textiles, Tourism and external affairs, the event serves as an abode for millions of national and international tourists. The Mela spans for a period of 15 days, starting every year from the 1st of February, offering spectacular displays of both Indian and international crafts, and concluding on the 15th of the same month. (This year, the fair is going to go on for a period of 17 days, starting from the 2nd of February, up until 18th of February.)

It is annually held at Surajkund – 8 kms from New Delhi, in the city of Faridabad, Haryana.

Let’s see how the concerned authorities have planned this year’s fair and what’s going to be in store for you, this time around.

Theme:

Every year, the fair offers the position of the “Theme State” to one of the Indian states. The theme state takes the centre stage of the Mela and the entire atmosphere is then planned in congruence with the theme state. This includes the look of the entrance and the grounds, the architecture of the place and the show of colours. In short, the whole setting, in its majority, will be dedicated to the theme state.

The Mela provides the theme state, the opportunity to showcase its culture – the art forms, the cuisine, the handlooms & handicrafts, along with the state’s tourism potential, to the huge number of Indian as well as the International visitors, who turn up for the fair. This concept was introduced with a view to promote one Indian state every year.

The novelty of being the “Theme State” has fallen on the state of Uttar Pradesh, for the fair’s 32nd edition.

But it’s not that the fest remains confined to the offerings of the theme state only. All the other states as well as some of the other countries also gets to take part in the fair, showcasing their own unique set of exhibitions.

Foreign Participations:

The Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan, has been chosen as the partner nation for the current edition of SurajKund International Crafts Mela. As such, Kyrgyzstan will have a separate pavilion at the fair, showcasing its traditional arts and handicrafts. Along with it, close to 30 other nations have confirmed their participation for the fest as well, which is a jump from last year’s number of 23 countries.

Around 15 countries are expected to present their cultural performances and more than 300 foreign participants will be a part of the shows.

The majority of these participants are going to be artisans only, which speaks for itself about the intensity of the performances on offer.

Shopping:

Pictorial view of various stalls showcasing ethnic crafts from all over the country and abroad. Don’t miss it, come and shop.

Events:

How to reach:

Timings:The fair will remain open from morning 10:30 am to evening 8:30 pm, on all the days.

Tickets:The tickets are priced at Rs120 per person on the weekdays while on the weekends, the price shoots up to Rs180 per person. There are provisions of booking the tickets at the spot or online.

Location:The place is located at close proximity from all the major commuting points.

The nearest railway station is Delhi, and the rail connectivity also stretches to both Faridabad and Gurgaon.

For air travellers, Delhi will again serve as the nearest airport. It’s a 35 minutes-drive from the India Gandhi International Airport and a 25 km drive from Palam Airport.

For the ones wanting to take a road trip to the place, it’s well connected to Delhi, Gurgaon and Faridabad and you can take the services of either the tour coaches or independent buses from ISBT, Shivaji Stadium, Gurgaon and Faridabad.

All in all, the fest seems to be very promising this year (that’s not a new thing anyways), and has all the potential to give an enthralling experience to the visitors. With events like these, India gains a lot of prominence on the international stage and therefore, we encourage everyone of our readers to come and be a part of it.