Master artisans, craftsmen as well as culinary experts from across the country will be participating in the event. Half the participants will be men and the other half will be women.

 

The event was inaugurated in the presence of Railways and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Minorities Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

 

Naqvi said that the 'Hunar Haat' has proved to be a "mega mission of empowerment of the indigenous legacy of artisans."

 

The Minority Affairs Ministry is strengthening Prime Minister Narender Modi's "dream project" of providing opportunities and a market to the country's rich heritage of arts and crafts, Naqvi said.

 

"The 'Hunar Haat' has become a mega mission for promoting indigenous crafts, cuisine and culture and economic empowerment of master artisans and craftsmen. About three lakh artisans, craftsmen and culinary experts have been provided employment through it in the last three years. These benificiaries include a large number of women," the Minister said.

 

'Hunar Haats have been organised at various places in the country such as Delhi, Mumbai, Prayagraj, Lucknow, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Punducherry and Indore, he said, adding the next will be organised at Ranchi from February 29 to March 8 and in Chandigarh from March 13 to 22.

 

In the coming days 'Hunar Haats' will be organised in Gurugram, Bangaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Dehradun, Patna, Bhopal, Nagpur, Raipur, Puducherry, Amritsar, Jammu, Shimla, Goa, Kochi, Guwahati, Bhubneshwar, Ajmer and other places, Naqvi added.

 

At the India Gate lawns, more than 250 stalls have been set up where master artisans, craftsmen and culinary experts from across the country are participating. They are here displaying exquisitely handmade indigenous products.

 

Hundreds of people associate with these artisans in production of these handmade products. "Bawarchikhanna" is providing taste of traditional delicacies from several states. Cultural programmes, to be organised on daily basis, will also be a major attraction of the event.