Nagpur: The much-awaited Orange City Craft Mela, organized by South Central Zone Cultural Centre (SCZCC), commenced on Friday, January 8. The event will conclude on January 17. Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Vanrai President Girish Gandhi, Basantlal Shaw, Devendra Parekh and other dignitaries lit the traditional lamp to mark beginning of the Orange City Craft Mela. The SCZCC Director Piyush Kumar welcomed the guests and participants of the event.
On the opening day, groups of artists present Powada (Maharashtra), Shankhadhwani (Conch music) Dance (Odisha), Jangam Jogi Singing (Haryana), Terhatali (Rajasthan), Chhau Dance (West Bengal), Tapetagallu Dance (Andhra Pradesh), Pandavani Singing (Chhattisgarh) and other colourful items.
The Orange City Craft Mela is the festival of handicrafts and colourful folk dances of India. Special folk drama of Bihar and folk songs would be an added attraction in the festival this year. The main aim of organising this festival is to give opportunities to the artists and artisans from different parts of the country to know more about each other’s traditions and cultural heritage and thereby help in promoting mutual understanding and cultural exchange. About 175 craftsmen and 225 folk dancers from different parts of India would participate in this festival.
Various crafts, handicrafts, handlooms, metal, leather, terracotta, furniture, jewellery, ceramics will be exhibited and will be put on sale at this fair. Folk dance forms like Powada, Lavani, Koli, Dhangri Gaja, Dindi, Kala and Tamasha with stirring tune and musical movements attract the people of the country. The visitors would also enjoy delicacies of Hyderabad, Gujarat, South Indian and North Indian in the festival, said the organizers.
The Orange City Craft Mela and Folk Dance Festival is is held at Nagpur every year.
