From Mela To Palace

2012 happened to be the 26th Surajkund Craft Mela year. Once you enter the mela the ambience inside gives you an insight of one of the finest handlooms, handicrafts, regional dance and not to forget the rich Indian food which will touch your hearts. Elite group of 400 plus craft persons from all over India enlighten the mela by providing their services and products .One of the highlighting features of this mela is the participation from SAARC nations ,and government of India must be applauded for giving them this opportunity. Not only the participating nations displaying their craftsman skills but also one could enjoy their food. Their food stalls were flooded with people. There was splendid display of folk dance which was mesmerizing for all. Audience enjoyed it to the level that even some of them joined the folk dance team and became a part of them. What was catching the eye was the way in which these stalls were built. They displayed the state of art hut model built of hush and bamboo stick.

States Stall Looking at State Stalls reminded me of the Trade fair at pragati maidan were there are separate stalls from most of states of India .Kashmiri Shawl was been sold at the J&K stall, mostly these stalls were found in the eatery zone. You could excite your pallet with cuisines from across the country.

Interview with Mr. Robin Amatya Mr.Amatya CEO of Sabah Nepal funded by SAARC development fund. He was of the view that government of India invites all the SAARC countries to participate in this mela and display they craftsmanship and cultural diversity. Some of the participating countries were thiland,srilanka,palistan,Uzbekistan etc.

Brands Associated With the Mela

Thought the place was Surajkund Craft Mela, But brands like Club Mahindra, Hyundai, Dominos and several others were a part of mela. Even if they couldnt connect with the Purpose of the mela. Their presence pulled great amout of crowd. Cosmopolitan audience even if they desire to experience the culture and centuries old handloom ,they will never think of risking their health by eating at any stall and certainly be lured towards dominos. Similarly an euphoria of female audience encircled the Shahnaz Husain Stall.

Unfits Overall the Mela was a success and swelling crowd in and out proved to be a witness of its success. But some of the stalls inside the mela were absolutely deserted and failed to pull crowd. To name a few- the blood donation stall, Health department stall. Made me wonder why somebody will travel all the way to Surajkund to donate blood or for that matter be educated on how to do safe sex, or for that matter how to get rid of smoking habits. Even if the Government through these Unfit stalls wants to convey a message or provide some noble service to the community of visiting audience, it fails in its endeavor. Which results in deserted look at these stalls.

Conclusion and Suggestion

26th Surajkund Craft mela was successful in bringing the ethnicity of country India, and also to some extent the SAARC countries. From a marketers point of view the stalls generated sufficient profit for the Owners to continue visiting this mela for years in succession. Presence of brands provided a mix of nineteenth and twenty first century products. Very few people know that the Assam vibrant is theme song for this year mela. Foreigners were also attracted to this mela, couple of foreigners visiting mela along with us manage to buy some products from the Uzbekistan stall. Although the mela was overall a success, still some pitfalls were there,

Presence of government funded stalls which had a deserted look, blood donation camp was a failure, Most of the items sold at the mela were overvalued in terms of price at the name of handicraft and handlooms. Even if handicraft items were present in abundance, most of them are available at Dilli Hatt, So why should anybody visit surajkund when the same products are available at Dilli Hatt. The crowd was not properly managed.A mela which has been organized by bodies like Incredible India, Haryana Tourism, Assam Tourism,Ministry of external affairs can certain be expected to maintain high standard and standout as a world class mela. It has grown in a big way in last 26 years, but it has the potential to become one of the most attractive destinations for handloom and handicraft enthusiast.

Pictures of the mela

People enjoying traditional dance.

Surajkund mela was an excellent exposition of Indian traditional crafts. The mela was an amalgam of craftsmen,skilled artisan, social entrepreneurs,folk artists Everyone displaying their art in form of Products,services, theatrical art forms. The showcase was a blend of Old Indian tradition with modern science.

The timing of the surajkund mela was very good. The season was right,the spring season with gentle breeze blowing all the while.The mela was thronged by an array of visitors Indian and from other countries, young and old, the enthusiasts and laggereds.

Products on displays were excellent, showcasing the traditional values with modernities.

To Conclude, it was a treat to watch. A mela an eye opener To us, we wish to carry forward, the old tradition to new generation and find out how the Management techniques learnt in the class room can be applied to this mela concept and provide a excellent lively hood to the extinct craftsmen. Indeed,everyone must get a chance to be in the mela and carry forward the legacy and display the wares from the Mela into the Mahals( the living drawing rooms of every home.

Add Two three photos of artisans and products.