National SARAS Mela opens in Vijayawada with 600+ stalls of women-made handlooms
Representative image: MBatty / Pixabay
National SARAS Aajeevika Mela 2026 runs Oct 15-31 in Vijayawada with 600+ stalls of handlooms and crafts by women's self-help groups; first edition outside Delhi-NCR.
What Happened
Ikat and Telia weaves from Telangana, Pashmina from Jammu and Kashmir and hundreds of other handmade textiles and crafts are on show in Vijayawada as the National SARAS Aajeevika Mela 2026 opens on Thursday, October 15, 2026. President Droupadi Murmu was scheduled to inaugurate the fair at Punnami Ghat, alongside Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The mela, organised by the Union Ministry of Rural Development with the Andhra Pradesh government and the state's rural livelihoods society, SERP, runs until October 31. More than 600 stalls display products made by women from self-help groups across over 30 states and Union Territories, and it is the first edition of the national fair held outside the Delhi-NCR region.
Key Facts
- Dates and venue: October 15 to 31, 2026, at Punnami Ghat, Vijayawada.
- First national SARAS Aajeevika Mela held outside Delhi-NCR.
- More than 600 stalls; reports put the number of women entrepreneurs and artisans at over 1,000.
- Participants come from over 30 states and Union Territories.
- Products include traditional handlooms such as Ikat, Telia and Pashmina, handicrafts, organic goods and household items.
- The Lakhpati Didi Compendium and the SARAS Shakti Application were to be launched at the inauguration.
- Organisers: Ministry of Rural Development, Andhra Pradesh government and SERP.
Why It Matters
For rural women weavers and craftspeople, the hardest part of the business is often not making a beautiful saree or shawl but finding someone to buy it at a fair price. A fair like this brings self-help group members face to face with city buyers and gives them a chance to see what sells, talk to customers and price their work.
Moving the national edition out of Delhi-NCR for the first time widens that market. Vijayawada gives artisans from the south and east of the country an easier journey and puts their textiles in front of a different set of shoppers during the festive season.
The fair is also a showcase of India's living textile traditions. Ikat and Telia weaves from Telangana and Pashmina from Kashmir sit side by side with crafts from across the country. For anyone interested in sustainable, slow fashion, a mela like this is one of the few places where buyers can meet the women who made the garment.
The Lakhpati Didi Compendium and the SARAS Shakti Application, both due to be launched at the event, tie the fair to the government's wider programme for women's self-help group enterprises.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Event | National SARAS Aajeevika Mela 2026 |
| Venue | Punnami Ghat, Vijayawada |
| Dates | October 15 to 31, 2026 |
| Stalls | More than 600 |
| Highlights | Ikat, Telia, Pashmina handlooms; handicrafts; organic goods |
Impact
Short-term: Over the next two weeks, women artisans can sell directly to festive-season shoppers in Vijayawada, and visitors can buy handlooms and crafts from across India in one place.
Long-term: Regular access to big-city buyers can help self-help groups build brands, set better prices and move towards steady incomes.
Who is affected: Women weavers, artisans and self-help group members, handloom buyers and fashion-conscious shoppers in Andhra Pradesh, and the rural livelihood missions that run these fairs.
Key Takeaway
The National SARAS Aajeevika Mela 2026 brings more than 600 stalls of women-made handlooms and crafts to Vijayawada from October 15 to 31, the first edition outside Delhi-NCR.
Questions and Answers
When and where is the National SARAS Mela 2026?
It runs from October 15 to October 31, 2026, at Punnami Ghat in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. President Droupadi Murmu was scheduled to inaugurate it on October 15.
What can visitors buy at the SARAS Aajeevika Mela?
Traditional handlooms such as Ikat, Telia and Pashmina, handicrafts, organic products and household goods, all made by women from self-help groups, at more than 600 stalls.
Who organises the SARAS Mela?
The Union Ministry of Rural Development, with the Andhra Pradesh government and SERP, the state's rural livelihoods society.
Why is the Vijayawada SARAS Mela significant?
It is the first national edition of the fair held outside the Delhi-NCR region, giving women artisans from across India a new market in the south.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
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