Tajikistan, Thailand and Egypt for Surajkund Mela

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by Haryananewswire
Chandigarh, January 23
It is for the first time that Tajikistan, Thailand and Egypt have agreed to participate in the 24th Surajkund Crafts Mela, being held at Surajkund in Faridabad from February 1 to 15. Rajasthan has been selected as Theme State of this much-sought-after annual event this year. The mela will be inaugurated by Mr H. Hamid Ansari, Vice-President of India.
Besides performances by their cultural teams, these countries will put up stalls for the sale of their respective cuisines in the food court and shall display and distribute their publicity material at different stalls. Their craftspersons, stationed in the mela grounds, will bring along the ambience of the lands they come from.
The Surajkund Crafts Mela has come to dot the Indian Tourism calendar for the last 24 years. One of the internationally acclaimed events of our country, it showcases fascinating display of exotic culture,ancient crafts, traditions and glimpses of a heritage that is legendary for its vitality. Weavers and craftspersons along with folk dancers, theatre troupes, jugglers and roadside magicians from all nooks and corners of the country descend on the mela grounds, drawing thousands of visitors from India and abroad year after year. Haryana Tourism spends more then Rs 1 million on the infrastructure required for making this experience worthwhile and unique.
The popularity of the mela can be gauged from the fact that the mela
has been inaugurated by emimnent personalities like Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson UPA, in 2007, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, then Union External Affairs Minister, in 2008; and President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil in 2009.
The annual event is organized by the Surajkund Mela Authority under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Tourism. The Mela Authority is headed by Secretary, Tourism, Government of India, and it comprises the Development Commissioner Handicrafts, Development Commissioner, Handlooms, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Culture and Haryana Tourism as member agencies.
Surajkund mela provides a platform and brings an opportunity for the
children to explore their potential in various competitions like kite flying, face painting, rangoli, drawing & painting and folk dance.
More then 5000 children are expected to represent their schools colleges this year and sweat it out for suitable rewards.
Cultural shows and theatre performances at Natyashala, an open air theatre, include the folk dances of Rajasthan, north- east, Haryana, Punjab, Utter Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh besides not to miss, the cultural shows of the Republic of Tajikistan, Thailand and Egypt.
As spring kisses the winter away, Surajkund comes alive with bright colours of Indian folk traditions and cultural heritage every year. It is not just a mela but mini-India. Surajkund complex derives its name from the ancient amphitheater, sun pool. It dates back to the 10th Century A.D when tribal chieftains were gaining supremacy. One clan that struck out in the chronicles of history, was that of the Tomars.
They were sun worshippers. Fascinated by the surroundings of this terrain, Raja Suraj Pal, one of the chieftains, chose to build his stronghold here.
A sun temple and a sun pool were designed. But times changed, and the clan vanished. The temple fell into disarray. But, the amphitheater sunpool withstood the vagaries of times. It is the sun pool that the complex was christened after and was named Surajkund. It has been identified as an ideal suburban retreat because of the natural beauty of the Aravalli ranges.
That Surajkund lay close to Delhi, attracted the Tourism Department of the State which now covers 40 hectares. While providing urban attractions to the holiday makers, it retains its suburban serenity.
Keeping the sun pool as the centre, a large number of tourist facilities have been developed. To the left of the sun pool along side the ruins of the temple stands Hotel Raj Hans. Adjacent to this property lies Sunbird Motel, another property with accommodation wings. Between the pool and the mela grounds lies the Natyashala, an
open-air-theatre. A path leads to the hermitage. On the farthest end of the main road lie the crafts mela grounds.