Surjkund Mela 2022: Covid and March heat dash hopes of local artists

Faridabad: Today, in 2022, we are somewhere at ease with covid-19. The world's largest craft fair, '35th Surajkund Mela', Faridabad has finally returned. Craftsmen from several Indian states have come to the fair in the hope to retrieve lost sales. But, the March heat and the deep losses from Covid have dashed their hopes of improved sales.

As gathered, the scorching summer heat is posing a major impediment and decreasing the footfall at the mela considerably. Usually, the craft mela takes place in February, when the weather is breezy and bearable but this year it was postponed to March because of Covid.

"My sale has become poor; due to this heat, people are not visiting mela; I don't know how will I repay my loans". says Ramswarop Soni, stall no 349.

Many artisans and stall owners are still facing the consequences of Covid-19. Ramswarop has been coming to Surajkund for the past 20 years, but after the Covid-19 crisis, things have never been the same for him.

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Ramswaroop is dealing in beautiful brass figures. He has everything from beautiful temple statutes to lord Krishna idols and ethnic home decors. His items are exported from his hometown Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh. His price range starts from 400 to 50,000 rs.

"When covid-19 had hit us in 2020, my work got shut down, and because of this, I had to take a loan for approx one lakh. Since then, the situation has remained the same. I am not able to repay the loan and the interest is increasing. I am losing my confidence." says Ramsawaroop.

A few steps ahead of stall no 349, you'll see pretty phulkari and suits hanging on the corner stall. The stall is beautiful, has multiple colours and has impressive Punjabi needlework. Praveen Kumar has been setting up his stall for the past 12 years at Surajkund Mela. However, this year, after returning after 2 years with his wife Kavita, he is disappointed by the reduced footfall.

"We at Punjab, Patiala manufacture everything on our own, from needlework to other necessary items. But this year, we feel like coming here was a wrong decision because sales are meagre, the crowd is less, and people are unwilling to spend much. I think organising a craft mela in March was a bad plan. Many children have exams and it is very hot."

This is the story of many other artists at the SurajKund mela which will go on till April 4, 2022. If you are visiting Surajkund mela anytime soon, do not forget to carry a water bottle, an umbrella or any summer essentials so that you can enjoy without feeling dehydrated.