SARAS Fair showcasing rural artisans from 17 Nagaland districts opens in Dimapur

Visitors browsing the stalls at the SARAS Fair pavilion at DDSC Stadium, Dimapur, on November 11. The six-day fair runs until November 16. (Morung Photo)

Nagaland

11th November 2026

Six-day event runs until November 16 from 11am-9pm

Morung Express News
Dimapur | November 11

The SARAS Mela 2026 began in Dimapur on November 11. The fair, organised by the Nagaland State Rural Livelihoods Mission (NSRLM) was inaugurated by Commissioner and Secretary, Rural Development, Thavaseelan K at the DDSC Stadium.

The launching programme took place at 4:00 pm. The six-day event will run through November 16, opening to the public daily from 11am to 9pm. Organised in coordination with the Directorate of Rural Development, the mela is an exposition for Self-Help Groups (SHGs) from across Nagaland, alongside participants from partner departments and guest states.

Commissioner and Secretary, Rural Development, Thavaseelan K, inaugurates the six-day SARAS Fair at DDSC Stadium, Dimapur on November 11. (DIPR Photo)

A total of 50 stalls have been set up. Of these, 36 stalls are allotted for the exhibition and sale of rural goods, including handloom textiles, traditional bead jewelry, cane and bamboo items, packaged food, farm produce, and Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP).

The items on display range from local honey and King Chilli products to hand-woven tribal shawls and cane baskets.

NSRLM State Program Manager for Non-Farm Livelihoods, A Tiasenba Longchar said that the remaining 14 stalls have been reserved as food counters, offering visitors traditional Naga dishes, local street food, and regional cuisines.

The fair will also feature live studios where artisans demonstrate various trades, alongside designated recreation spaces featuring games for the public.

A range of locally made products, including traditional handicrafts, woven items, bamboo and cane products, bonsai plants and organic produce, on display at the SARAS Fair at DDSC Stadium, Dimapur, on November 11. The six-day fair features rural artisans from 17 districts of Nagaland and runs until November 16, 2026. (Morung Photo)

According to Longchar, the primary function of the fair is to connect rural SHGs directly with urban consumers.

“This SARAS Fair is held twice a year, and this is the first time that we are having this financial year. This is basically a marketing platform that we provide to the Self-Help Groups that we promote under NSRLM. The basic motive behind this SARAS Fair is to promote entrepreneurship and a marketplace for the products that they produce,” he said.

SARAS fair is a biannual event, with the next edition scheduled for February-March 2027.

Held under the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, through the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), the SARAS initiative is designed to assist rural micro-enterprises by eliminating middlemen.