The 31st Surajkund International Crafts Mela got off to a colouful start here this morning. It was inaugurated by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Around 1,500 artisans from 19 states and several foreign countries are taking part in the fortnight-long event.
Khattar said the event had emerged as a zenith for art and culture lovers. He said the government was making all-out efforts to promote such events. He said a plan was afoot to expand and improve infrastructure for the fair.
He said the premises had been extended by a little over three acres, raising the total space to around 40.5 acres. He said around 17 lakh persons had visited the fair last time. He said this figure was expected to go up further this time as the number of stalls had been increased to over 1,000.
He said several countries had been marking their presence again at the event this year. He said Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Tunisia, Mongolia and South Africa had joined the international cultural festival for the first time.
Amar Kumar Bauri, Tourism Minister of Jharkhand, the theme state, said they were grateful for being the centre of attention. He said Jharkhand would benefit from the publicity here, which would help the state in improving its tourism potential.
Hatem Tageldin, Egyptian Ambassador to India, said the Surajkund fair had emerged as a unique platform for the promotion of art and culture. He said the event would help in improving the standard of art and craft. Egypt is the partner nation this time.
The authorities concerned stated that all arrangements were in place for cashless transactions. The Chief Minister purchased a shawl and two pictures from Nepalese and Sri Lankan stalls by paying through POS machine.
Around 100 POS machines, two ATMs and six mobile ATM vans had been provided on the premises. VS Kundu, vice-chairperson of the mela authority, said keeping pace with the Digital India Initiative, entry tickets were available on the online portal ‘bookmyshow’ and at the entry gates.
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