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| Surajkund International Crafts Mela | |
|---|---|
| Name | Surajkund International Crafts Mela |
| Location | Faridabad, Haryana |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Founded by | Haryana Government, Kamala Nehru Trust |
| Dates | February (annual) |
| Genre | Handicrafts fair, cultural festival |
Surajkund International Crafts Mela is an annual crafts fair held near South Delhi, in Faridabad, Haryana, showcasing traditional artisans, regional handicrafts and cultural performances from across India and abroad. The mela attracts dignitaries, craft collectors, curators, tourists and delegations from countries represented through embassies and cultural exchange programmes, and is timed to coincide with the harvest-season and tourist calendar in Delhi. It has become a major event linking regional craft clusters, museum professionals, ministry officials and international cultural bodies.
The mela was instituted in 1987 by the Haryana Government with support from the Ministry of Textiles, inspired by initiatives such as the Indian Handicrafts and Handlooms Export Corporation exhibitions and state fairs like the Gujarat International Trade Fair and Surajkund's Malhotra Committee recommendations. Its name recalls the nearby 10th-century reservoir built during the era of the Tomar dynasty and the archaeological associations with the Aravalli Range and sites excavated by Archaeological Survey of India. Over decades, the mela has hosted foreign pavilions organized via French Embassy delegations, the British Council, the UNESCO New Delhi Office, and cultural institutes such as the Alliance Française de Delhi and the Goethe-Institut. High-profile visitors have included ministers from the Ministry of Culture and diplomats from US Embassy delegations.
The event is sited on the ridge near the historical reservoir in Surajkund, adjacent to Masroor village and the Badkhal Lake area, accessible from NH19 and metropolitan connections from Indira Gandhi International Airport. The layout is organized into national pavilions, regional bazaars, cottage industry clusters and curio lanes modelled after bazaars like Chandni Chowk and exhibition formats used at the Prague International Fair. The central amphitheatre hosts performances similar to programmes staged at the Sanskriti Kendra and the National School of Drama, while hospitality zones mirror setups used at the India International Centre. Security and crowd management integrate protocols from Delhi Police and event planning experience of the Indian Army during large public gatherings.
Participants include master craftspersons associated with KVIC cooperatives, artisans from the Kutch, Rajasthan, Assam, Kashmir and Ladakh regions, and overseas craft delegations coordinated through Indian Council for Cultural Relations channels. Crafts exhibited range from Pashmina shawls and Kashmiri embroidery to Madhubani paintings, Bastar metalwork, Channapatna toys, Phulkari textiles, Bengal kantha, Madhya Pradesh tribal lacquer, Himachal Pradesh woodcraft, Odisha appliqué, Manipur handloom and Nagaland beadwork. National institutions like the National Handloom Development Corporation and the Handicrafts and Handlooms Export Corporation of India often curate thematic stalls, while master weavers linked to the Crafts Council of India and awardees of the Padma Shri and Sant Kabir Award appear as demonstrators.
The mela stages a programme of classical and folk performances drawing artists from institutions such as the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the Doordarshan National broadcast circuit, and state cultural troupes from Punjab, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Kerala. Scheduled events include puppet shows, folk theatre reminiscent of Nautanki and Jatra, classical recitals in Hindustani classical music and Bharatanatyam items linked to academies like the Kalakshetra Foundation. Workshops are run in partnership with the National Crafts Museum and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, while literary sessions sometimes feature speakers from the Sahitya Akademi and curators from the National Museum. International cultural nights have been organized with contributions from delegations such as Thailand and Spain.
Administration is led by the Haryana Tourism Corporation in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism (India), district authorities of Faridabad district and advisory input from the Ministry of Textiles (India). Operational partners have included the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry for trade outreach and the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage for heritage interpretation. Sponsorship and logistics draw on partnerships with corporate entities listed with the Confederation of Indian Industry, while procurement and artisan selection utilize networks maintained by the All India Handloom Board and state directorates of handicrafts. Health and safety measures coordinate with the Health Ministry and emergency responders such as the National Disaster Management Authority.
The mela generates income for craft clusters represented from districts across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, supporting livelihoods linked to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Institute and cooperatives registered with the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. It has influenced museum acquisitions at the National Crafts Museum and retail linkages with outlets in Connaught Place and galleries in Lodhi Estate. Cultural diplomacy outcomes include strengthened ties with partners like the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and translated programmes with the UNESCO. Critics and scholars from institutions such as the Centre for Policy Research and Observer Research Foundation have examined sustainability, heritage authenticity and patronage models linked to urbanisation in the NCR.
The mela runs for about two weeks in February at a site reachable from New Delhi Railway Station and Indira Gandhi International Airport via road links and shuttle services. Visitors are advised to use public transport nodes like the Delhi Metro interchange and to consult tourism desks run by the Haryana Tourism Corporation and the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation for schedules, ticketing and guided tours. Accommodation options range from hotels listed with the Hotel Association of India in Gurugram and Faridabad to heritage homestays promoted by the Ministry of Tourism (India). Special access and VIP hospitality are coordinated through consular offices and cultural wings of participating embassies.
Category:Festivals in Haryana Category:Handicrafts of India