CHANDIGARH, December 2 -Mela enthusiasts on Monday continued to throng in their thousands to be a part of the Crafts Mela, a joint venture of the North Zone Cultural Centre (NZCC) and Chandigarh Administration. The quiz contest for children today, conducted by Dr Saurab Bhatt, had nearly 200 participants, who had to answer a volley of questions on Indian culture, GK, et al.
There was a magic show by SK Sharma, which came as bonus for the participants in particular and others in general. In the morning and evening sessions, stage performances included Rajasthani folk singing by Murli, which was followed by bhapang badan. Artistes presented scintillating folk dances of various regions, including Jaabro (Ladakh), Kalbelia (Rajasthan), and Dhamaali (J&K). Smongst the regular ground performers were ‘Kachi Ghori (Raj), Behurupiyas, Nachar and Baajigar (Pb) Nagada and Been Jogis. (Har).
Food stalls witnessed a huge rush as the most demanding city foodies gorged on their choicest traditional cuisines and culinary delights from various regions, offering a peep into the rich diversity of our country. But Litti chokha done in pure desi ghee, Sattu kachori, maal pua, khoye ka anarsa and tillon khaja from Bihar were in great demand. Similarly, Rajasthani stall had a slew of delicacies, including Daal bati choorma, special Rajasthani thaali, missi roti thaali, moong daal halwa and choorma laddu were selling like hot cakes.
The food court has something for everyone. Those with sweet tooth had special 'Jalebi', from Gohana (Haryana), kesriya kullad milk, kesar baadam milk (hot and cold) while the tots had pizza, burgers, momos and hot springs rolls to gorge on. More than 600 artisans and craftsmen drawn from different corners of the country have displayed their handmade items of daily use, including crockery, cutlery, fabric, woollen garments and other winter wears, carpets, designer suits and sarees.A wide range of furniture items attracted the choosey buyers.
The star singer of the evening was Kulwinder Billa, who enlivened the evening with his robust singing style.He sang from a rich repertoire of hit numbers, inviting the young and the old to dance their way to glory. Tomorrow’s (December 3) fixture Well-known singer and the reigning queen of Pahadi folk singing, Geeta Bhardwaj, will bring the flavour of folk music from the hills. The Mela will continue till December 8