Chandigarh, 15th
November 3019: 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, selling handicrafts, handlooms, fabrics, home decor items and much more.
The Mela was
inaugurated by Shri Ajoy Kumar Sinha, Finance Secretary, Chandigarh
Administration. The event is a joint venture of North Zone Cultural Center,
Ministry of Culture,Government of India.
Folk dancers from
Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and
Gujarat, made presentations on the opening day welcoming the chief guest. 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.
Today's highlight
The stall No 221
selling Benarasi silk sarees, dupattas and cotton silk dress material has eye
catching stuff to offer. 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 first citizen Shri Pranab Mukherjee.
"The material is
woven on handlooms where as the designs are done by a specific family member or
an expert from outside", he informed. On an average it takes seven days to
four months to weave a silk saree. The colorful dupattas and sarees are too
tempting to resist.
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.
The Food Court
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.
Amusement venue
The venue 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.
Rythmic Past by
Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi Artist Vinay Sharma
from Jaipur is displaying his work focusing on laya ie rhythm. Crafts made out
of bukram and iron are displayed at the gallery. Sculptures made out of papers
are more than a two hundred years old. Sharma also has transistors manufactured
between 1942 and 1975. He calls himself Paperman and says that Paperman is an
idea that reminds to value the past and not a physical manifestation.
The interiors of the
Mela venue are designed differently this year with gates on the theme of forts
and palaces. The statue installations made out of plaster of Paris at the
performance venue have created a traditional yet majestic ambience.Director NZCC Saubhagya
Vardhan was also present on the occasion among others.
Jasbir Jassi, famous
Punjabi Singer will be opening the musical night today.
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