Vijayawada: The National Saras Aajeevika Mela – 2026, which will bring together products made by women self-help groups (SHGs), rural artisans, and entrepreneurs from across the country, will begin at the Punnami Ghat in Vijayawada on Tuesday, October 13, and continue till October 31.
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises minister Kondapalli Srinivas underlined on Sunday that the event would provide a national marketing platform for rural women entrepreneurs to showcase and sell their products. The mela is being organised with the support of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Union Minister of State Dr. Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, he stated.
A total of 576 stalls will be set up for SHG members and women entrepreneurs from Andhra Pradesh and other states. Andhra Pradesh will have the largest share of 208 stalls, followed by Rajasthan (24), Madhya Pradesh (23), Uttar Pradesh (22), Maharashtra (21), West Bengal (19), Kerala (17), and Punjab (17), among others.
Srinivas said the event offers a golden opportunity for women SHG members and rural entrepreneurs from Andhra Pradesh to market their products nationally under the Swayam Andhra brand.
Significantly, the mela coincides with the Dasara Navaratri celebrations of Goddess Kanaka Durga at Vijayawada and the Vijayawada Utsav, offering devotees and visitors an opportunity to explore products, handicrafts, and culinary specialities from across India.
The exhibition will feature Uppada and Venkatagiri handlooms, silk saris, Kalamkari fabrics, khadi garments, home décor items, and handicrafts, including wooden carvings, terracotta products, and jute bags, apart from natural soaps and herbal products.
Visitors can purchase millets, traditional sweets, cold-pressed oils, quality pickles, honey, and natural forest products. Live food stalls serving popular cuisines from different states are an added attraction.
The minister said arrangements were being made to ensure a comfortable experience for visitors, with spacious parking facilities, drinking water, security, and medical camps. He appealed to people from Vijayawada and neighbouring areas, as well as devotees visiting Kanaka Durga Temple during Navaratri, to attend the mela and support the rural women entrepreneurs.
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