Saras Mela: Traders do Rs 93 lakh business in nine days

PATNA: Over 20,000 visitors thronged Gyan Bhavan on the penultimate day of Saras Mela on Tuesday. The 10-day fair will conclude on Wednesday.
From handicrafts items made of bamboo sticks, jute, stones and brass to dress materials made of silk and cotton, the fair has everything to offer. Artisans from 10 states have exhibited a large collection of dresses, antiques, jewellery and edible items at the fair.
Roushan Kumar, manager (communication) of Jeevika project, said Saras Mela has done a business Rs 93 lakh till Monday. “The fair has been like a treat to shopaholics. Shoppers from across the state are making a beeline for the fair. Traders have an unending variety of products to offer to the visitors,” Kumar added.
He said, “Some major attractions at the fair this year are bamboo art, Madhubani painting and silk items. Weavers from Bihar have extracted silk out of cocoon for the first time. Buyers can get real silk saris and other products from stalls put up here.”
From Goddess Durga’s idol to Titanic, Mamta Devi from Samastipur has a number of products made of bamboo. “The major attraction at our stall is bamboo idol of Goddess Durga. People are buying other products like vase and ship. We sell products worth Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 on a daily basis,” he added.
Another attraction at Saras Mela is a stall put up by Jamshedpur’s Meenu Rakshit and Shamli Dutta. “People just love our handmade herbal soaps, shampoo and hair oil. Most of them come twice or thrice for buying these products,” Rakshit said.
Silk and cotton saris are also finding many buyers. Afzal Alam, a trader from Bhagalpur, said, “People are mostly attracted to silk saris and suits. I sell products worth around Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 every day at the fair.”
Visitors are also thronging Sharmeela Devi’s ‘Didi ki Rasoi’. Sharmeela, who hails from Sultanpur, said, “People are actually loving our ‘samosa’, ‘nimki’, ‘dahi vada’, ‘gujiya’ and paneer pizza.”
Sangeeta Singh, who visited Saras Mela with her family on Tuesday, said, “The price, quality and range of products are satisfying here. The products are available at cheaper rates.”
Some shoppers, however, found the prices of different products to be a little high. Shiwani Singh, who came to the fair from Serpentine Road, said, “I bought a number of products, including bangles and onion powder. However, some products, including raisins, are priced too high.”