Swadesi Mela | Divine International Foundation

Why the mela is held at Haridwar

Haridwar, the ancient city settled on the bank of the life giving river Ganga, is known for its natural and spiritual heritage. It is a sacred town of Uttarakhand and one of the seven holy places of the Hindus. The Ganga travels from Gomukh in the lap of the Himalaya and enters the plains for the first time at Haridwar, which is why the town is also known as Gangadwar. The name Haridwar means the gateway of Hari.

Devbhoomi Swadeshi Mela, Haridwar has been conceived once again in this ancient city to promote local production, self employment, self reliance and self respect, and to build awareness of them.

A Swadeshi Mela has been held at Rishikul Maidan, Haridwar before, in 2007, where dozens of swadeshi companies displayed their own products. The Swadeshi Mela has been a memorable and important event in the country from the beginning, and Swadeshi Mela, Haridwar is an important step in the series of swadeshi melas being held across the country.

The organisers expect that Devbhoomi Swadeshi Mela, Haridwar will prove to be a significant step in showing local enterprise, and that it will build faith and confidence among consumers in swadeshi products and services. That in turn will help swadeshi industry to grow and to become more competitive, while giving consumers a better option.

Besides creating employment opportunities in rural areas, the mela is expected to encourage traditional craftspeople and artists, and to allow a meaningful exchange between swadeshi producers and consumers. All institutions engaged in the work of making the country self reliant are asked to resolve to protect the economic freedom and sovereignty of the nation, and the organisers seek the cooperation of all in this work at Haridwar.

Organisers

Who organises the mela

Swadeshi Jagran Manch

Swadeshi Jagran Manch is a political and economic organisation of India that creates public awareness for the development of swadeshi industry and culture. It is identified as a constituent of the Sangh Parivar. It came into existence at Nagpur on 22 November 1991, when five national level organisations, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat and Sahkar Bharati, jointly laid its foundation in the presence of Dattopant Thengadi.

Divine International Foundation

Over the past eight years of its work, Divine International Foundation has organised seminars, training programmes and workshops at various levels on subjects connected with skill development, employment melas, entrepreneurship development, trade and industry. The Swadeshi Mela is a continuing effort towards the progress of Indian products and industries, and the Foundation intends to act as a catalyst that gives them strength.

What is on display

The exhibition covers science, technology and telecommunications, organic products and food processing, articles for worship and devotion, spiritual literature, textiles and khadi, handicrafts and handloom work, household and electrical appliances, automobiles, tourism and transport services, banking and finance, public and private sector undertakings, and goods produced by self help groups.

Alongside the stalls the mela carries seminars and workshops, cultural programmes, an art competition, live demonstrations, and entertainment and food.

The mela is an occasion for direct conversation between the producer and the consumer, for building faith and loyalty towards swadeshi products and services, and for making local and better options available to consumers.

Devbhoomi Swadeshi Mela at Rishikul Maidan, Haridwar

Participation

Stall types and rates

A constructed stall is built with tin and cloth partitions. A stall of 9 square metres carries synthetic carpet with a 5 or 15 ampere plug point, a tube light, two tables and two chairs. The special stall of 144 square metres is provided with wooden and synthetic flooring. Electricity, water, cleaning, invitation cards for the inauguration and other functions, and general security arrangements are included in the above stalls.

Stall rates for Devbhoomi Swadeshi Mela, Haridwar
Stall type	Rate	Size
Constructed stall	Rs 500 per square metre	In units of 6 or 9 square metres, or multiples of these
Bare space stall	Rs 500 per square metre	Minimum 18 square metres
Special stall	Rs 3000 per square metre	144 square metres with wooden flooring

Payment terms

Stall booking requires 50 per cent of the amount in advance, before 25 October 2018. The cheque or draft for payment is payable to Divine International Foundation. GST is payable in addition to the amounts stated above.

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