26TH SURAJKUND FAIR KICK STARTS

The world famous Surajkund Fair began on the 1st of February with a lot of enthusiasm and zeal. With stalls of Indian crafts projecting the real Vibrant colours of our country are a sight that one cannot afford to miss. The fifteen day fair, just like every year saw a lot of visitors on the first couple of days. Visitors come not only from Delhi and NCR but a number of people come here from different parts of India to experience the true Indian culture. The theme of the fair this year is Assam, but more than 600 craftsmen from around the world are here to display their work.

The art works in these stalls are not only for display but most of them are also for sale. Though there are hundreds of things that people can see and buy but the real show stealer this year is the huge door made of the famous Patak wood from Andhra Pradesh. The door  which is about 12 feet tall and 9 feet broad is worth 12 lakh of rupees and is claimed to safe from all kinds of termite and insects. Not only the door but the statues and the swings made from the same wood which are priced at different prices are also a big hit.
Apart from the crafts, the other thing about the fair that attracts many visitors is the cultural program. The special chaupal made in the centre of the Fair is the stage for all the performers. Special dances, instrumental music and songs from different places is shown here. Folk dances and folk music of various Indian stated is performed by local performers from these states. The most appreciated performance on the first two days of the fair was from the Dholu Kunita group from Karnataka. The way they played the dhol, which is usually an instrument played in Punjab mesmerized the spectators. As soon as they started playing, the entire area around them filled with people. The manager of this group told the people that the tune his group was playing is actually the folk tune of their state and a group of people usually play this tune during festival time.
The visitors are really enjoying the fair and think that they can relate to a lot of things and at the same time learn many things that they are not aware about. The fair brings them closer to their own country and its vibrant culture. Most of the visitors, when asked said that they would like to come here again this year or during the subsequent fairs.
http://www.ndnewsexpress.com/2012/02/03/26th-surajkund-fair-kick-starts-19511