Mango Mela at Pinjore Gardens gets off to a rocking start

Pinjore (Haryana), July 5, 2014: The two-day Mango Mela at Pinjore Gardens began on Saturday on a colourful note. An annual event, this Mela is hosted by Haryana Tourism jointly in collaboration with Horticulture Department, Haryana. Every corner of Pinjore Gardens wore a festive look, as cut-outs and props of flowers, bees, butterflies and rainbows adorned the Mela. Drapes in hues of yellow and green on the arches of the royal Mughal Gardens lent perfect setting to the Mela.
Sumita Misra, Managing Director, Haryana Tourism Corporation, informed this time special efforts have been made to create an eye-catching ambience with elements from nature and colours of raw mango lending a vibrant look to the Mela. New competitions and attractions have also been added to make the Mela more enjoyable.  
The Mela came to life with number of competitions and activities being held for the first time like Baby Show and Mango Story Writing. The Baby Show had kids competing in three categories divided in the age group of 6 months-1 year, 1 year to 2 years & 2 years to 3 years. Mango Story Writing that was open for all saw a stupendous response and so did the Face Painting competition that had over 20 schools participating.
About 40 schools took part in the solo dance competition that spelled entertainment for all, as it set the stage rocking. The performance of Been Sapera and Jangam dancers of North Zone Culture Centre, Patiala further added to the charm of the Mela. The popular mango eating competition had men, women and students participating in three separate rounds.  
No Mela can be complete without food and shopping. The Mango Mela’s Crafts Bazaar and Food Court are a must visit. The craftspersons from different states of India have come here to display their handicrafts and handlooms. There are interesting oil paintings, Phulkari dupattas, patch work bedcovers, brassware, Punjabi juttis etc.
At the Food Court, the visitors could be seen enjoying kulfis, ice creams, street food and Chinese dishes. The students of State Institutes of Hotel Management (SIHMs) from Kurukshetra, Rohtak, Faridabad and Panipat have also set up stalls and are dishing out a variety of quick bites. The Photo Booth set up in the Mela had youngsters getting clicked with props and Tourism backdrop. Their pictures have been uploaded on www.facebook.com/haryanatourismindia.
Shri B.S. Sehrawat, joint director, Horticulture Department, Haryana, stated that 2,744 total entries have been received from mango growers of Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Chandigarh, in different categories out of which 2,408 are that of mango fruit. About 182 varieties of mangoes are on display and Soyab farm, Raipur has exhibited maximum varieties of mango, the prominent ones being Langra, Chausa, Alphanso, Malika, Ratol, Malda, Amrapali, Ramkela, Totapari and Safeda. About 336 entries of mango by-products like chutney, jam, juice, squash, aam papad etc have also been received. A seminar on mango diseases and its preventive measures will be held at Red Bishop, Sector 1, Panchkula on 6th July. All the competitors stand a chance to win cash prizes, shield and certificates.

(SK Vyas/Jalandhar)