Saras makes Pink City blush

JAIPUR: With local boy Major Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore winning a silver medal at the Olympics, Jaipur could well be the flavour of the season.
And you could partake of this flavour at the Saras 2004 in the Pink City. The 12-day fair, which began on August 13, has been organised by the Rural Non-Farm Development Agency (RUDA), in association with the Rural Development Department (Gramin Vikas Vibag), government of Rajasthan and the Union ministry of rural development on the occasion of Teej.
The fair has been organized in many parts of the country since 1999.RUDA managing director Rohit R Brandon said, "Saras has been organised in Jaipur for the first time. We have been training Rajasthani craftsmen to upgrade their skills. We have also been assisting them in strategising marketing plans and arranging bank loans."
Brandon said Saras''s objective was to promote handicrafts in the national and international markets and to help rural craftsmen under the Swaran Jayanti Swarojgar Yojna. A mini village, accommodating over 300 stalls, has been constructed at the Jawahar Kala Kendra fairgrounds. The products on display include statues made of aromatic clay, colourful garments, bora and beant (stick wood) furniture, Lucknavi chikan garments, kasht (woodwork) of Tirupati, Kanjeevaram sarees and much more.