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Reporting By M.M. Khanna, Travel-Journalist: tourismnewsindia.com - Chandigarh, October 28:- Marked by diverse and creative artistic activities, showcasing the rich craftsmanship from all over India and abroad, the 1st Chandigarh National Crafts Mela took off today. The colourful inaugural ceremony by the Punjab Governor and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh, General (Retd.) Dr. S.F. Rodrigues, PVSM VSM, amidst beating of drums and cultural performances of different States and display of distinctive regional art forms was held at aesthetically decorated Kalagram.

Full of cultural programmes, festive feasting and artistic creative activities, the Crafts Mela, with Jammu & Kashmir, as the theme State involved considerable effort and attracted huge crowds, including foreign tourists as well as locals, with a message of harmonious living and working together.
Accompanied by Mrs. Jean Rodrigues, the Administrator went round the aesthetically and beautifully decorated 150 stalls arranged by craftsmen & artisans who have achieved National and State Awards in their respective fields. The artistic endeavours, handicrafts, tourism related activities, food courts, depiction of Indian culture & heritage through different modes, dominated the scene. They took special interest in the sky dining equipment brought in from Belgium. They also interacted with the organizers and suggested the need for utilizing their creative service-oriented activities to evolve comprehensive programmes for promoting craftsmanship and other artistic skills among the new generations.
Addressing an impressive function on the occasion, General Rodrigues said that this mega event has been conceived and planned to promote a better understanding and to reach out to each other, to unify our diverse and rich cultural ethos to demonstrate the strength of ‘incredible India’ to attract Domestic as well as Foreign Tourists. He said that it provides a platform and an opportunity to display our capabilities, innovations and expertise to transform India to take its place in the comity of Nations. He said that we have to set new standards for the years to come and shape a better future for our Tourists Inflow,youth & children of Northern India.

Highlighting the great potential of tourism related activities in UT, General Rodrigues said that Chandigarh is a catalyst of change for the region and various programmes are being sponsored to project it as a vibrant and dynamic City and the hope for the future. He said that we should make sincere and earnest efforts to ‘put Chandigarh first’ by adopting new techniques and methodologies in different art and cultural forms, suiting the changing pattern of our Society. He complemented the North Zone Cultural Center and the Chandigarh Administration for putting concerted efforts for the promotion of traditional Indian and regional culture with focused attention on greater support and appreciation for creative works.

Mr. Ram Niwas, Home Secretary, while giving a brief about the Mela activities said that this event is the vision of the Governor Punjab and Administrator, UT Chandigarh as conceived by him in the Governing Body of North Zone Culture Center meeting had recently in Srinagar. He said that this 10 day long Crafts mela has hosted a plethora of activities ranging from hasya kavi sammelans and quawalis to folk dance festivals besdies wide range of performances by more than 300 artistes from different states of national and international repute and much more in the vibrant atmosphere of the theme state of Jammu and Kashmir. In order to search the talent of the city’s students colleges have been roped in and a folk dance competition and the hunt for Voice of Chandigarh amongst the college students will take place.

He said that the Administration has also involved the various hotel associations, courtesy CITCO and a Food Festival in the city to tantalise the taste buds and bring cuisines of different states under one roof. The objective of this mela is to create a rural ambience for the foreign and domestic tourists to see and to introduce crafts and craftsmen directly to the buyers and help them find their patrons. About 3 lakh visitors are expected to come to the mela during these 10 days from the neighbouring states and also from abroad, he added. A colourful cultural programme was presented by J & K artists on the occasion.