The National SARAS Mela will remain open on November 1

Visitors walk past various stalls at the National SARAS Mela-2026 at Punnami Ghat in Vijayawada. | Photo credit: GN RAO

Even as the National SARAS Mela 2026, held at Punnami Ghat in Vijayawada officially came to an end on Saturday, the organizers decided to keep it open to the public for one more day.

According to official information, all stalls will remain open even on Sunday. Starting from October 13, the mela provided a platform to women self-help groups (SHGs) from across the country to showcase traditional crafts, handloom and natural food products and regional delicacies.

Many central and state officials attended the closing ceremony of the mela organized by the Society for the Eradication of Rural Poverty (SERP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Rural Development (MMR).

SERP director (livelihood) Siva Shankar Prasad told the gathering that the mela had recorded a revenue of ₹ 12.11 crore in the last 19 days. He described organizing the mela in Andhra Pradesh as a privilege. This is the first time since 1999 that the mela has been held in a city other than Delhi.

Expressing pride in the success of the event, District Collector NTR G. Lakshmisha said that the event was made possible by the joint efforts of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation, Electricity Department, Police, CCTV and Sanitation teams, along with the management of MORD and SERP. The Collector thanked the SHG entrepreneurs who traveled from all over the country and brought a wide variety of products to Vijayawada.

Awards were given to SHGs and coordinators for excellence in handloom weaving, handicrafts, natural food products, live food, product quality and packaging, stall and display design, customer engagement, innovation and social media presence.

Published – 31 Oct 2026 20:52 IST