Venue: Surajkund, Haryana
Date: 1-15 February 2017

The much awaited Surajkund Mela 2017, the fortnight of craft and cultural extravaganza organized by Haryana Tourism is around the corner. Stall bookings for Surajkund Mela are over.  In fact it’s time for the stalls at Surajkund fair to get ready for the visitors. It is the onset of spring and the weather is just right for an event such as this. The undulating topography of Surajkund area adds to the charm of the fair. Over the years, the fair has shed its puritan craft specific character and has developed a general appeal with an artsy flavour. We have routinely followed this festival in the years 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016  and here is our list of 5 things you should look out for at the Surajkund Crafts Fair.

1. Shopping – It is a fair with a host of crafts catering to various requirements clothes and accessories, home décor, furniture and so on. What sets it apart from other fairs is that it’s the artisans here who set stalls and directly sell their ware to customers. So, in addition to cheap prices, one gets to interact with the crafts people and know more about the craft.
2. Foreign Stalls – A host of neighboring countries set up stalls here. So if you are on the lookout for Afghani carpets, Turkish kilims, Sri Lankan Ravan masks or Jamdani saris from Bangladesh, you should visit the foreign stalls area.
3. Food – We get a lot of queries about what to eat at Surajkund Mela, There is dedicated food zone where in addition to the regular stalls selling North and South Indian food, various hospitality and catering institutes set up stalls. Additionally, there is a major stall that sells delicacies from the focus state which is Jharkhand this year. At the other corner of the fair there is a restaurant that sells yum Rajasthani kachories and snacks, jalebis and khullad chai. This is a must try.
4. Photography – There are some permanent structures in the Surajkund mela ground. These are replicas of various architectural wonders of India such as the Trinity heads from the Elephanta Caves or the Bishnupur temples in Bengal. These edifices make great backgrounds for photography. That apart the whole fair ground is decorated like an India dreamland and any place here is a selfie zone.
5. Cultural performances – There is a huge amphitheatre at the middle of the fair ground where cultural performances from all parts of India are held throughout the day. This could be a great way to relax during bouts of shopping. In addition, various folk groups keep putting up candid shows at various places in the fair. Folk music is infectious and the visitors are welcome to shake a leg with such groups.

So, chalo Surajkund, it is the thing to do this February.