Kalaburagi to host national-level saras mela from February 24 to March 5

Minister Sharan Prakash Patil addressing presspersons in Kalaburagi city on Friday.
| Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI

The National Livelihood Mission in collaboration with the Karnataka State Livelihood Mission, Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, District Administration, zilla panchayat, and municipal corporation will hold a 10-day national-level Namma Saras Mela in Kalaburagi city from February 24 to March 5.

Minister for Skill Development Department Sharan Prakash Patil addressing presspersons in Kalaburagi city on Friday said the saras mela would provide a platform for rural artisans and self-help groups’ women to showcase and sell their products, including handicrafts, handlooms, organic products and traditional foods.

The National Saras Mela will feature a massive exhibition with 230 stalls, displaying a wide variety of handmade and traditional crafts. In addition, 20 food stalls will serve freshly prepared delicacies and food products representing different States.

Dr. Patil said that diverse handcraft and products from 18 different States will have their stalls, including ilkal sarees, Kasuti embroidery, Channapatna wooden toys, Bidar’s Bidri work, Kinnala wooden dolls from Koppal in Karnataka, Kashmiri embroidered garments, Punjabi bangles, Sikkim and Bihar’s handloom fabrics, Tamil Nadu’s artificial jewellery, Kerala’s beads, and Andhra Pradesh’s handcrafted toys.

Workshops

The mela will also have workshops covering topics such as branding and packaging for women entrepreneurs, market skills and product value addition, skill development training; and also educate participants on various government schemes and social security schemes and bank linkage services to help women grow their businesses. 

In the evening, the mela will also host cultural events by renowned musicians and local artists.

Akka Cafe

The State government has allocated ₹25 crore to establish 50 Akka Cafes and 2,500 kiosks across Karnataka, run by self-help groups. This initiative will significantly impact Karnataka’s socio-economic outlook by empowering rural women and promoting entrepreneurship, Dr. Patil added.