|
 Once
again Suraj Kund Mela has been successful in
showcasing the diverse culture of India. Attracting
thousands of people the mela is the most happening
place around Delhi. Besides keeping the Indian heritage
alive it also provides a good family entertainment.
The suburbs of Haryana provide the perfect
ambience for the mela with Goa as its theme
state. On entering the gates one is greeted by the
sounds of 'nagaras', mingled with Goan music.
Goa known for it's beautiful beaches, Anglo Indian
culture and laid-back life has been projected with
authenticity.
The small Goan market set up in the mela is resonant
of the actual market in Goa. The various stalls sell
everything from Goan clothes, shell jewellery, and
home decorative pieces delicately made out of shell
and many more things.
Anita Fernandes's stall displaying vibrant
Goan clothes with colourful flower patterns, painted
beaches and a slogan 'I love Goa' embossed on every
shirt, reflects the Goan attitude. She finds the whole
set up wonderful and says that, "The response
of the people is very good but they bargain a lot."
Umer Singh along with his family enjoying
daab (coconut water) at the artificial beach
made by white sand remarks happily, "It is
a nice place to come with my family. And I have come
to know so much about Goa. My aunt has bought so many
shell products. They are really beautiful and make
nice home decorations."
 Amongst
the market a small Goan house has been erected reminiscent
of the original ones in Goa.
Also the other states from India displaying their
handicrafts are attracting enormous crowd. Vishavabharti
from Lucknow finds the place amazing as she
remarks with a lost and surprised expression, "Sabse
acchi baat yeh hai ki aapko saare states ki handicrafts
ek jagah mil jaati hai. Abhi to mien apni family dhoond
rahi hoon. Sab log idhar udhar saman khareed rahien
hai. "(The best about the mela is that you get
handicrafts from all over the country at one place.
Right now I am looking for my family. All of us have
got scattered all over the place while purchasing
things.)"
One can find handicrafts form any corner of the country.
The beautiful hand embroidered Kashmiri carpets,
the fine and delicate embroidered clothes from Kashmir,
vibrant colourful sarees from Orrisa, chicken embroidered
salwar from the town of Nawab. Hand made leather
goods, kitchenware, colorful umbrellas with sumptuous
mirror work and the wooden carvings of gods and
goddesses from Tamil Nadu and the delicately
carved furniture from Saharangpur are exquisite
delight and feast to the buyers.
Anil, a visitor, finds all the things overwhelmingly
charming. "I have bought so many things for
my house. The best I like are the wooden carvings.
They are beautiful. Also it is impossible to get all
handicrafts in Delhi."
For the entertainment of the people, artistes from
different states perform dance at various places in
the mela. The eye-catcher is the Dare Devil dance
performed with swords by the dancers from Rajasthan.
But for those who want some thrill and excitement
there is a magician who surprises people with his
mesmerizing tricks. Also at the 'chaupal' various
states get a chance to perform drama and dance to
keep the visitors entertained and at the same time
enlighten them about their culture. At the end one
is awestruck at the variety and talent India has!
Click on the photos to view an
enlarged image
- Avni Sood |
1:22:50 PM 
