A participant from Nagaland displays her products at the fair. Picture by Manik Bose

Ranchi, Oct. 14: Khadi items, especially bags with pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and Shivaji on them, are selling like hot cakes at the khadi mela at Morabadi grounds.

While the men are making a beeline for bags, women are swamping stalls selling silk, tussar and cotton saris with batik print, kantha stitch and Baluchari work on them. Crochet items such as table, television and sofa covers and bed linen, also share a spot in the popularity list.

A shop that believed that there is nothing more precious than a pearl was today chock-a-block with like-minded, customers, mostly women, who tried out pearl strings, earrings, rings and bracelets made of Hyderabad pearls. Along with pearls, jewellery made of semi-precious and precious stones such as garnet, coral and sandstone were available for those who crave a little bling.

Shopkeepers made a good sale of the bright cotton umbrellas, also known as chanduas. These umbrellas have always been in demand in the city, said an entrepreneur. Ayurvedic items also disappeared just as quickly.

For those not really into retail therapy an ongoing demonstration of how katiya thread is transformed into raw khadi textile was interesting, said visitor Gita Devi. Folk dances in the evenings added colour to the event. When it came to imparting awareness among the visitors, the fair uncompromisingly satiated all minds.

Information on flagship programmes such as National Rural Health Mission, National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, Midday Meal Scheme and Bharat Nirman were available for those who sought information.

The programme objective was explained well, said visitor Vishwanath Singh.