White honey, papyrus art to olivewood handicrafts: What’s on offer at International Trade Fair

Over 3,500 exhibitors from more than 20 nations are housed in 14 halls of the complex for the trade show, which opened on November 14. The fair opens to the public between 10 am to 5:30 pm on Sunday and is on till November 27.

Melano Bazaar, a stall from Egypt, was selling Papyrus art created on a paper-like material prepared from the stems of a marsh plant. (Express Photo)

At a stall set up by the Kyrgyzstan Embassy, two unique items were on display: white honey from the region of Nareen and walnuts from the Arslanbob forests. “The native tribes gather these walnuts in Arslanbob, the largest walnut grove on the planet… The rare white honey is harvested from the nectars of Fiona, Sage, and Alfa Alfa, wildflowers which are unique to high-altitude areas,” said stall attendant Subhashish Basu.

The honey, which sells for Rs 1,200 rupees for 425 grams, won the gold award twice at the International Beekeepers’ Association Conference (Apimondia).

Meanwhile, handcrafted goods made of olive wood and traditional Qartaj ceramics were on sale at the Embassy of the Republic of Tunisia’s booth. Stall attendant Amine said, “The wooden handicrafts are made from the bark of the olive tree and are acclaimed for their durability and rich blend of caramel tones…The Qartaj ceramics showcase a 1,000-year-old art form called Amazigh.”

The Trade Fair also has partner states and focus states each year. (Express Photo)

Melano Bazaar, a stall from Egypt, was selling Papyrus art created on a paper-like material prepared from the stems of a marsh plant. Each sheet of papyrus takes two days to create, it is thought to be the first paper ever to exist, Egyptian historians used this type of paper to write history. Our product line spans from Rs 300 to Rs 3 lakh,” said vendor Islam Kamal.

Other highlights of the fair were the bright Turkish stalls selling mosaic lamps, the Dubai shops offering fashionable ethnic suits, shops from Afghanistan selling dry fruits and the stalls from Iran selling precious studded jewels.

“Our speciality is white mamra almonds and super negin which is a rare trim of saffron,” Abdul Wasim from the Natural Afghan Mewa stall said.

The Trade Fair also has partner states and focus states each year. This year’s focus states are Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Maharashtra while Kerala, Jharkhand, and Bihar are partner states.

Turkish stalls selling bright mosaic lamps were among other highlights of the Fair. (Express Photo)

Nevertheless, everything that best represents India’s cultural diversity was on display — from the delicious litti chokha from Bihar, warm Pashmina shawls from Kashmir, Punjabi Phulkari dupattas, mouth-melting Kerala halwas, Assamese Mekhela Sadors, Manipuri handwoven baskets, and more.

From the stall selling halwa wafted a rich aroma of coconut milk and jaggery, attracting many shoppers. “Fig halwa, coconut halwa, Kaju halwa, Badaam halwa — we are selling many varieties of desi ghee halwas from Kerala,” said Habib Rehman, who has been visiting the national capital to set up his stall at the fair since the last 22 years.

Yahul Maqbool from the Kashmiri handicrafts stall said, “We have pashmina stalls but this year all the rage is about Kaftans with chain-stitching work… our product range goes from Rs 1,500 to Rs 20,000.”
Many traders have also set up their stalls in hopes of landing B2B selling opportunities.

Customers said the experience of the fair has become even better in the new complex. (Express Photo)

Kerdi Joseprakash from Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu has developed a “healthy elixir” for immunity development that he wishes to sell globally. “I showcased it at the fair last year, and many customers in Delhi have become frequent customers of my healthy elixir which is made of amla, arjuna, nutmeg, fig, and herbs,” he said.

Customers said the experience of the fair has become even better in the new complex.

“I attend the IITF every year with my family, we were extremely excited to see the fair unfold in the renovated complex this year. The amenities in the new complex are top-notch, which has made the fair even better,” Ashish Jogi, a resident of CR Park, said.

Other shoppers like Gurgaon resident Nidhi Kumar expressed nostalgia for the old building. “It was an easier shopping experience when all the sections were properly divided in the old complex.”