https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

A Mela in Udaipur Brings Hope For Artisans

After a break of two years the annual Shilpgram Mela is being held in Udaipur again. It started on 26 December and will end today. The melas gave a platform to artists and craftsmen to showcase their art after a long gap. Director of Western Zone Cultural, Udaipur, Kiran Soni Gupta said that she is happy the mela is helping the artists to sell their art and earn some money as they went through a difficult time in the last two years because of Covid.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Artists and craftsmen went through a rough phase in the last two years. The pandemic and the two lockdowns reduced their earnings to almost zero and some of them were on the verge of starving. A retired IAS officer felt deeply about their plight and wanted to help them in some way. She is Ms. Kiran Soni Gupta and she is currently the Director of Western Zone Cultural, Udaipur. 

Ms. Kiran Soni Gupta inaugurating an event

Ms. Gupta wanted to bring back normalcy to the lives of artisans so that they can resume creating beautiful art pieces and earn some money by their sale. So, she decided to organise the Shipgram Mela, an annual event in Udaipur that could not take place in the last two years, with double enthusiasm this year. She and her team went out of their way to make sure the event is a huge success. During a conversation with Indian Masterminds, Ms. Gupta talked about some interesting aspects of the mela and, also, the challenges she faced in organising it during pandemic time.

SHILPGRAM MELA 

This year around 11,000 artisans and craftsmen from 25 states participated in the Mela and around 100 shops displayed different variety of products. People came in large numbers to the Mela to enjoy an event after a long gap. 

The Mela started on 21st December and today is the last day. It was inaugurated by the Governor of Rajasthan, Mr. Kalraj Mishra. This year the theme is traditional art and culture of our country. Every day is dedicated to folk and arts of one state which falls under the western zone cultural centre. Every state gets two days to showcase their art and craft. States like Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra are actively participating along with home state Rajasthan. 

HELPING ARTISTS AND CRAFTSMEN

Ms. Gupta said, “This has been an annual affair but due to Covid, we couldn’t organise it last year. In the last few years, it had been a major attraction for tourists but Covid changed everything. We just wanted to resume this activity so that the artists can be helped. Shipgram provides lots of livelihood opportunities for them. I can proudly say this year has been a big success. A participant in the mela told me that all her products got sold. She makes idols with paper. What else do we want?”

Around 100 shops presenting different hand made items are their in the mela

ALL INCLUSIVE MELA

The cultural program organised in the mela has always been one of the major attractions. This year is special too, as different folk dances from states like Manipur, Assam, Jammu and Gujarat are on show. 

Along with enjoying the cultural programs, people can go around the stalls and buy handicraft items made of cloth, metal, wood, blue pottery etc. 15 artists and craftsmen are also giving live performances of their work, which is an added attraction. 

“We have called famous artists from different places to showcase their work. Ajit from Jaipur who is famous for his fire art has been getting huge applauds for his paintings drawn with fire,” Ms. Gupta informed.

Specially-abled and transgender artists are also taking part in the mela, showcasing their work and also taking part in various competitions. 


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Tiger death in Karnataka
Shocking: 5 Tigers Found Dead in Karnataka’s MM Hills Sanctuary, Suspected Poisoning Sparks Outrage - Details Inside
NPCIL
Clean Energy Push: NPCIL Extends Bid Deadline to September 30 for Bharat Small Reactor (BSR) Co-Development
All India Officers IAS IPS IFS UPSC
IFS Ambarish Vemuri Appointed Deputy Secretary in PMO; IAS Ashish Srivastava’s Role Upgraded in SSC
Devinder Singh
Retired IRS Devinder Singh Kalyan Appointed Haryana’s State Election Commissioner Amid Controversy
Uttarakhand Lok Sewa Ayog UKPSC-lok-sewa-aayog
UKPSC PCS Prelims 2025 to Be Held on June 29: Advisory Issued Amid Monsoon & Traffic Concerns - Details Inside
SAIL resized
High-Level Meeting in New Delhi Paves Way for Major Expansion of SAIL’s Rourkela Steel Plant
Kerala-police-resized
Kerala DGP Appointment: UPSC Shortlists 3 Senior IPS Officers, Excludes ADGPs; State Govt to Choose New Police Chief - Details Inside
Critical Minerals
Unlocking North East’s Mineral Wealth: 2nd Mining Conclave Begins in Assam's Guwahati, Aimed at Sustainable Development in Northeast
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
Why Has the DGCA Fined Air India Rs 5 Crore Since Privatisation?
Former Diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar
Iran Is Weakest Now, Needs a Face-Saver
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-23 at 12.39
Retired Officers Lead 7-Day Mission to Revive Betwa River with 55 Check Dams | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Sanish Kumar Singh
“If you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way,” Sanish Kumar Singh AIR 8, UPSC IFS 2024 
The real interview, he says, was much more humane. “The board was conversational. The chairman opened...
Raju Wagh
When the Battlefield Became a Study Room and a Dream Took Flight
Amid IED blasts and anti-Maoist operations in Bastar, CRPF Commando Raju Wagh taught village kids, studied...
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-18 at 10.31
"I Just Wanted to Breathe Again": The Man Who Fought Death and Made It to UPSC
Struck by COVID at the peak of his UPSC prep, Devanand Telgote spent months on ECMO, unsure he'd live,...
Social Media
Shailaja Chandra
“Nanis & Dadis Have a Brain”: Former IAS Officer Shailaja Chandra Weighs in on 1970s vs 2025 Life Debate - “This Generation Has It Better”
Responding to Viral Post on Middle-Class Struggles, Ex-Bureaucrat Offers Candid Reflection on Then and...
Tigress Arrowhead
The End of an Era: A Queen Falls - Ranthambore’s Iconic Tigress Arrowhead (T-84) Passes Away at 14, Hours After Daughter’s Relocation
Ranthambore mourns the loss of one of its fiercest and most beloved tigers, Arrowhead, the granddaughter...
Screenshot 2025-06-13 194001
Wild Elephant Disrupts Riverside Picnic, Sparks Debate on Human Encroachment; IFS Parveen Kumar Shares the Video - Watch Here!
Mr. Kaswan used the viral video, which has garnered over 1.5 lakh views, to highlight the risks of human...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Tiger death in Karnataka
Shocking: 5 Tigers Found Dead in Karnataka’s MM Hills Sanctuary, Suspected Poisoning Sparks Outrage - Details Inside
NPCIL
Clean Energy Push: NPCIL Extends Bid Deadline to September 30 for Bharat Small Reactor (BSR) Co-Development
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
Former Diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-23 at 12.39
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT