Imphal, Dec 10(ANI): A ten-day fair was recently held in Manipur which was aimed at promoting rural handicrafts and handlooms of the state in domestic as well as international market. ‘Saras Fair- 2009′ held at Iboyaima Shumang Leela Shanglen in Imphal brought together craftsmen and buyers on one platform, and objective of the event was to showcase the rural handicrafts and handlooms to potential buyers.The fair was jointly organized by Union Rural Development Ministry along with the District Rural Development Agency, Imphal East.This annual fair, which is well known across the country, is also an initiative towards economic advancement of rural communities through Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) scheme.”Beneficiaries are given an opportunity to showcase or market their products. These are BPL (Below Poverty line) families who have been given benefits under this SGSY scheme. It is a poverty alleviation scheme,” said Laxmi Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Imphal EastAround 140 stalls were set up at the fair, showcasing products ranging from handloom and handicrafts goods to agricultural and horticultural products.The fair gave the artisans who have been facing difficulties in marketing their goods an opportunity to display and sell their products. “The fair is a good initiative for the handloom and handicraft weavers. Such fairs should be held frequently and in different places,” said Bir Kumar Singh, an artisan from Manipur.

Sobita, a visitor from Manipur, said: “After seeing all these products, one can say that Manipur has many skilled weavers and day by day they are attaining perfection.”As a part of the fair, various other cultural programmes like cultural dances and courtyard theatre were held every evening to attract more buyers. (ANI)