The 36th Surajkund International Handicrafts Fair will start today. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will inaugurate the fair at 4 pm. During this, ambassadors of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries and some Chief Ministers and Governors of Northeastern states will also be present. The fair complex will showcase the art culture of G-20 and North Eastern states along with SCO countries. Secretary, the Ministry of Tourism, Arvind Singh said that preparations are on to introduce the ambassadors and representatives of G-20 countries to Indian culture through the fair. Chief Minister Manohar Lal, Tourism Minister Kanwar Pal, Union Minister of State Krishan Pal Gurjar, and Minister Moolchand Sharma will be present at the inauguration ceremony.

A separate zone has been prepared for handicrafts from countries belonging to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, behind the main square in the fair premises. It includes handicrafts from Iran, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. The eight northeastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura have been made the theme states of the fair while Shanghai countries have been made the partner countries of the fair this time. Representatives from more than 45 countries will participate in the fair. These include Kazakhstan, China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Turkey, Cambodia, and UAE, besides Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Kuwait, Myanmar, Maldives, and Bahrain.

Hosted annually by the Haryana Tourism Department, the 36^th Surajkund fair to be held in Faridabad, Haryana will be held from February 3 to 19. The fair started in 1987. The purpose of this fair is to promote local arts. Every year the theme of this fair is different. This time this fair will be organized in a grander manner than in previous years. Several cabinet ministers like tourism, textiles, culture, and external affairs are involved in the mega art fair. This year’s theme is India's Ashtalakshmi- the Northeast. The whole fair can be decorated on the same theme. This time, due to the G-20 summit, the number of foreign tourists at the fair is also expected to double.

Tourists will be able to taste Manipur's Chahao Kheer, Meghalaya's Fruit Chat, and Tripura's Bhangui Biryani at the fair. Significantly, this fair is held every year and there are a lot of craze among tourists regarding it. At this fair, tourists will be able to taste foreign and Indian cuisine. This time food courts will also be increased. The fair attracts visitors from all over the world. People from SAARC countries also participate in the fair to showcase their arts, crafts, and cuisine along with the people of the country. Both foreigners and Indians participate in the Surajkund International Crafts Fair. For this reason, the fair is called Surajkund International Crafts Fair. Many renowned folk artists and cultural organizations from across the country and the world perform at the Chaupals during the day. The fair mainly promotes indigenous products like Indian handicrafts, handlooms, and many other cultural products. There is a complete system of food and shopping for the people at the fair. Many folk dancers and musicians showcase their performances at this event. These artists come from many cultural backgrounds and perform in chaupals and outdoor festivals. Various arrangements like open-air theater have been made for the Surajkund fair.

Along with the international Surajkund country, a large number of foreign tourists will also participate, in view of which elaborate security arrangements have been made. During the fair, the police will keep an eye on every corner. Along with this, guidelines have been issued to strengthen other arrangements including parking. In view of the increasing number of tourists at the Surajkund fair, every effort is being made to maintain transparency in ticket sales. A plan is being made to put a hologram on the ticket so that fake ticket sales can be stopped. Surajkund Fair Timings will be from 12:30 PM to 9:30 PM and the ticket price on weekdays will be around Rs.120/- while on weekends the ticket price will be Rs.180/- There will be a 50 percent discount on tickets for school and college students. You can book tickets by visiting the official website of Haryana Tourism or on BookMyShow.