The Hindu Business Line : Karigar's mela

White herons wait patiently for a catch in the serene Surajkund Lake, surrounded by dense foliage. Peacocks carelessly meander around while some monkeys are busy teasing passersby with their pranks. Amidst this setting, the Surajkund Crafts Mela is held every year, bringing together the best of India's arts and crafts. Come February, this hamlet in Haryana bursts into a riot of colours and comes alive with teeming crowds.

Gujarat's patchwork

Within two decades, what started as a small initiative by the Tourism Department, has blossomed into a mega event of art, crafts, music, dance and culinary treat.

Artisans from all over the country participate in the two-week-long extravaganza, offering live demonstrations.

Each year there is a focus on one state - its art, crafts, and cultural aspects. Thus replicas of famous monuments are erected - be it the Charminar, Kashmiri temples, or Gujarati havelis... all are showcased here.

The entry leads into a large `Chaupal' commonly found in village houses. It remains the public area, and serves as a welcome zone. Cane chairs, moda and coir-cane cots lend the perfect rustic look. Throughout the day, the place is filled with folk song and dance programmes, the colours of the costumes casting a spell on the visitors.

There is enough to keep children enthralled here. One-rupee and 50-paise coins drop from 20-ft-tall effigies - chacha, chachi, and a baby Hanuman, while there are stalls selling everything from cotton candy, fans, paper windmills and other knick-knacks.

Today's trendy youth can also have their heart's fill, what with products from all regions on display here; buyers can choose from different varieties of silks, handlooms and other dress material, in all colours and shades, and in varied ethnic designs. enough to meet anybody's annual wardrobe needs.

Clothes selected, it's time to match them with the right pair of jootis. Footwear come in varied colours, shapes and leather varieties. From Kohlapuris to the Punjabi/Kashmiri royal-boat shaped ones, if you have the time to sort and try out, they are all yours at a great bargain. And after all this shopping, when hunger pangs grip you, look no further. Punjabi, Kashmiri, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarati. name the cuisine and you find it at the mela.

There is so much to savour here that one can try a different regional fare at different times of the day - breakfast, lunch and supper!

For art-lovers, there is an eye-catching arrayof art forms - the Machlipatnam leather work, Bidri work of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, ethnic wrought iron metal work of Bihar, umbrellas of Orissa, cane products from the North-East, large exquisite wood-carvings of Andhra Pradesh, and Tanjore art-works. You can also get the best of rugs, carpets, dhurries and spreads for your home.

Paper flowers from the North-East

Short winter rains do add a special touch to the Surajkund Mela. Visitors can bask in the sun with a plate of hot aloo tikki and chai. If you are enthusiastic enough, you can even try a few steps of Bhangra.

Sun down, the mela lights up and the scene is just picture-perfect with the giant wheel appearing in a silhouette.

Soon it was time to leave. but not without our bags of artefacts.

Pictures by V.S. Ramana