Haryana mulling to hold Surajkund fair twice a year: CM Khattar

Faridabad: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said that the state government is considering to organise the Surajkund International Crafts Mela twice in a year.
He said the government is contemplating this keeping in view the enthusiasm of the people and increasing demand of artisans.

Khattar, who was interacting with High Commissioner of Sri Lanka Chitranganee Wagiswara at Surajkund near here, said that he was of the view that the crafts persons should get more time to sell their artifacts.

Therefore, the Mela should commence from first Friday of February and continue upto third Sunday of the month, he said.
Wagiswara was all praise of the arrangements and facilities being provided to the artisans at the fair and requested the chief minister to consider Sri Lanka as partner country for the next edition of the Mela.

She said that Sri Lanka has been participating in the Crafts Mela for the last nine years and was a partner country in the year 2014.

Khattar said that as there are a lot of similarities between India and Sri Lanka, troupes of artists from Haryana should be sent to the island nation to further promote the state's culture and traditions.

To this, Wagiswara said that Haryana could send a proposal under the India-Sri Lanka Foundation to send their artists.

The meeting of India-Sri Lanka Foundation is scheduled to be held on March 10.

It was also informed in the meeting that Surajkund International Crafts Mela is the largest crafts mela of the world, an official spokesman said.

Haryana has already received proposals from three countries to become partner country for the Mela next year. The sale of entry tickets has recorded a new high of Rs 4.50 crore as against the sale amounting to Rs 4.29 crore last year, the spokesman said.

It was informed that about 1,000 families are earning their livelihood through this mela by selling their artifacts