{ Highlights } : Surajkund Crafts Fair
Where: Surajkund, Faridabad
When: 1st- 15th February 2015
Entry: Rs. 75 (weekdays) & Rs. 100 (weekends and special days)
This year's Surajkund Crafts Fair was a delight for me as a shopper as well as an amateur photographer- I mean, look at all these colours! The theme state was Chhattisgarh and the decorations clearly spelled out 'tribal' in more ways than one. You could also hear peppy drum beats and spot traditional dancers- with beautiful boldly kohled eyes, necks laden with junk jewellery and heavy skirts that are truly a sight when they swirl. Here's what I came back with from the 29th Surajkund Crafts Fair, 2015:
Getting there
It is not very difficult to reach the venue. It is easily accessible by car and there is ample parking space. The nearest metro station is Badarpur, from where you can easily hire an auto. You can also reach Surajkund by Buses available from ISBT, Shivaji Stadium, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Surajkund.
Shopping
One can find almost everything in this vibrant 15-day affair. You may find the stalls repetitive selling similar items with minor differences in prices. What you will find in abundance is traditional Sarees, handloom fabrics and phulkari embroidered suits. While this tops the shopping list of my mom, I am on a constant hunt for handmade clutches, scarves, tribal jewellery, kutch embroidered bags ( kutch embroidered anything, basically), and evergreen Kullu jackets and shawls.
Also lookout for juttis and kolhapuris that you can get at good prices while having a lot of variety to choose from. You can also pick handmade decorative items in ceramic, wood, clay, and brass for your home. Other than this, expect everything else you can from a typical Indian mela- swings, puppets, pinwheels, colourful toys, cotton candies, and chuskie. *_*
Food
There are not a lot of good options at Surajkund when it comes to food. Even the pop ups of your favourite joints like Dominos and Haldiram's are at their disappointing best. Other regional cuisine stalls are not far behind and lack in taste and quality. The only thing that you shouldn't miss out on is Haryana's very famous and majestic 'Gohane ki Jalebi' . A single piece weighs 250 gms dripping with copious amounts of sugar syrup that oozes out with every bite, hot enough to burn your lips. You have been warned.
Tips
Surajkund can be a bit overwhelming for first timers. It spans across a huge area in a very wild fashion where one just loses all sense of direction after a certain point of time. The crowd can also get a little crazy at some days but nothing you can't handle. However, here are 5 things I wish I knew before my first visit (this one was my fourth encounter):
#1. Scan first: If possible and you have a lot of time (and stamina) at hand, do look around the fair first before buying anything. There's a good chance of finding better things at better prices at a similar stall.
#2. Bargain like a boss. Don't be afraid to bargain at Surajkund but be reasonable.
#3. It is wise to carry a homecooked snack that you can have on the go, especially if you are big on hygiene.
#4. Avoid going on weekends. Obviously.
#5. Wear light woollens that you can get rid of you feel like. Even though February is a little chilly, the afternoons get pretty hot and you will definitely want to get out of that pullover.
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