The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is all set to begin its second edition of the SARAS fair, also known as SARAS Aajeevika Mela, being hosted by Jammu Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM), from 15th March this year at Srinagar.
The first edition was held in the month of February in Jammu, after a gap of a decade, which evoked great response from the artisan community from across the country. It will be for the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir that the SARAS will have its second edition to be held in less than gap of a month.
The women-led, National level food and cultural fair at Srinagar will run for 11 days and exhibit unique and famous indigenous products from various states and UTs of the country.
The event will provide platform to the women SHGs to sell and promote their self-made products. Mission Director, JKRLM, Indu Kanwal Chib, chaired a meeting to review the arrangements being put in place for the mela.
She issued specific instructions to the concerned officers to work in a synergized manner for successful conduct of the event. She said that the fair gives a platform to SHGs run by rural women to showcase their skills, sell their products and help them build links with bulk buyers.
The self help groups will display handicraft, handloom, and traditional food items from different rural areas across the country in these stalls. The national level event will provide a platform for the participants to sell and promote their self-made products and create marketing linkages with the various selling platforms.
She asked the concerned line departments to make fool proof arrangements for the event so that the fair is held in a smooth manner. She also directed that no stall will have any kind of disposable items like plastics.
She said that the venue of the fair has been equipped with all basic facilities such as drinking water, toilets, security and medical facilities. Besides, all the necessary fire safety protocols are being followed.
The first aid kiosks and 24X7 ambulance services are also made available at the venue of the mega event. A total of 70 stalls shall be put on display in the Mela, of which, the number of food stalls would be around 15 serving regional cuisines from different parts of the country.
Rajasthan, Odisa, Punjab, West Bengal, Telengana and Meghalaya are among the states which have confirmed their participation in the SARAS AAJEVIKA Fair at Srinagar.
Some of the handloom products that will be displayed at the fair included cotton and silk sarees from Bihar, Phulkari garment products from Punjab, Bamboo craft and decorative items from Uttar Pradesh, Zari Sarees from Telangana, there will also be an exclusive leather slipper stall from Mahrashtra.
Besides, the fair will have stalls that will showcase calico painting, jute bags from samba, laakh bangles from Bihar, Basholi paintings of kathua, Sozni shawls from Budgam, saffron from pampore, papermachie items from Bandipora and Pahloo, Black cumin from Gurez and many more.
A recreational activity area for children would also be set up at the Mela venue where the young ones would be made to understand their ancient culture, rituals, food, art & crafts, and the heritage through some activities like on-the-spot pottery making, fun activities and so on.
Another key feature of this national fair would be mesmerizing cultural events depicting cultural and traditional legacy of Jammu and Kashmir. To facilitate the customers and the mela enthusiasts, the facility of cashless transactions would also be made available at the Mela venue.
For this purpose, mobile ATMs of J&K Bank, SBI Bank and other online payment options are to be made available to our women SHGs to sell their products in the mela.
SARAS Mela also aims at facilitating and motivating the beneficiaries of Self Help Groups (SHGs) supported by Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana -National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) scheme of Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, to exhibit and sell their products at national level event.
It also aims to provide them with an opportunity for additional income, exposure and interaction on a large scale.