Telangana’s Bathukamma Celebrations Add Colour to National Saras Mela
Around 1,500 women entrepreneurs from 32 states and Union Territories are participating in the event, which features nearly 600 stalls showcasing handloom products, handicrafts and natural food items.
Vijayawada: Telangana’s traditional Bathukamma festival added cultural colour to the first National Sale of Articles of Rural Artisans Society (Saras) Mela in Vijayawada, with 75 women from self-help groups (SHGs) celebrating the festival through traditional floral arrangements and folk songs.
The women, led by Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) Telangana representatives Ramu Eluri and Divya, arranged Bathukamma floral stacks using traditional flowers and sang folk songs, sharing their cultural heritage with women entrepreneurs and artisans from across the country.
Representatives from 32 states and Union Territories are participating in the fair.
The CEO of SERP Andhra Pradesh appreciated the enthusiasm of the Telangana women and extended Vijayadasami greetings to the participants.
The cultural celebrations were part of the National Saras Mela 2026, organised for the first time in Vijayawada with the support of the Andhra Pradesh Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) under the Union ministry of rural development.
National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) additional director Sudhir Kumar said the fair at Punnami Ghat was attracting large crowds and providing a national marketing platform for products made by women from rural self-help groups.
Around 1,500 women entrepreneurs from 32 states and Union Territories are participating in the event, which features nearly 600 stalls showcasing handloom products, handicrafts and natural food items. Another 50 live food stalls offer traditional cuisines from different parts of India.
The fair has been attracting between 40,000 and 50,000 visitors daily, with the festive season further boosting footfall. SERP administrative director Kalyana Chakravarthy said sales had reached around `2 crore so far.
He said the 600 stalls had been provided free of cost to SHGs and artisans.
The organisers are also providing participants with free travel, food and accommodation, enabling rural women to sell their products directly to consumers and expand their businesses.
Several dedicated pavilions have been set up to improve visitor facilities and promote entrepreneurship.
The welcome pavilion at Gate No. 2 houses a help desk, registration counter and lost-and-found centre.
A convergence pavilion showcases government schemes and informs SHG members about available support and business opportunities.
The Meet and Greet pavilion hosts daily training sessions by NIRDPR experts and other specialists on branding, packaging, export marketing and value-chain management to help women entrepreneurs develop their products into competitive brands for national and international markets.
The Lakhpati Didi pavilion highlights the achievements and business skills of women entrepreneurs, while a demonstration pavilion allows visitors to watch women making their products.
Chakravarthy said the fair brought India’s diverse traditions, handloom textiles, handicrafts, regional cuisines and natural food products together on a single platform, resembling a mini-India.
