FARIDABAD: Fathia barely had time to catch her breath on the opening day of the Surajkund International Crafts Mela. Wearing a red headscarf, the entrepreneur from Djibouti—a small nation off the Gulf of Aden—was among nearly 700 participants from over 50 countries at Haryana govt’s marquee event in Faridabad, which will run until Feb 15.While artists from Djibouti had performed at Surajkund in earlier years, this was the first time they had set up a stall—the country’s debut adding to the kaleidoscope of colours that defines the fair, which is expecting a footfall of 15–16 lakh visitors this time. It was 15 lakh last year, with participation from 44 countries.In addition to international participants, this year’s fair has made a strong domestic push and is centred on the theme of Atmanirbhar Bharat , with participation of artisans from Uttar Pradesh and Odisha to Meghalaya and Karnataka. Though the crowd was thin on the opening day, footfall is expected to rise steadily over the coming weeks.This year’s partner country, Egypt, was once again a major crowd-puller, with its furniture, lamps and miniature pyramids. Having additions such as embroidered bags, clothing and crocheted toys, Egyptian craftspeople had an entire section dedicated to them at the international pavilion.Suraj Singh, a visitor at an Egyptian stall, said he visited the country last year but could not buy many souvenirs due to time and space constraints. He finally fulfilled his wish and went home with a bag full of miniature pyramids and paintings. Dayra, who was selling handmade crochet toys, said this was her third visit to the fair. “I feel Indians are similar to us Egyptians—warm, friendly and welcoming people who love to talk,” she said.For Iskandar from Syria, a businessman in his 50s, the yearly trip to Surajkund is no longer about money but has become a ritual. “After so many years, I am not much bothered about making a lot of money. What I love are the smiles I get from people here. They treat us so warmly,” he said.Iskandar and his friends have been selling pottery ware, mosaics and artwork at the fair for years and always manage to draw customers.Artisans from Turkey also returned to the 39th edition of the fair with their lamps and ceramics. “What happened last year was politics. We don’t want to get involved in it. We just want to do business, and we know people will buy from us,” said a member at a Turkish stall.Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan also drew steady crowds due to cultural similarities and ease of conversation, while Thailand saw women thronging stalls selling hair accessories and bags. At the local stalls, Kalamkari sarees from Andhra Pradesh, pearls from Hyderabad, Madhubani paintings from Bihar, and chikankari kurtis from Lucknow were among the many items on offer for visitors.Visitors are also in for an eclectic culinary spread, with dishes from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, apart from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana, on offer.The fair also has something for those not interested in shopping. One would need an entire day to explore the recreations of the Pyramids of Giza and Hyderabad’s Charminar.From Africa, other nations such as Malawi, Eswatini, Madagascar and Tunisia have also put their crafts on sale. There is an entire section dedicated to Africa, with each stall offering a glimpse of its nation’s heritage.Back at the stall near where Fathia was busy, a painting of a woman with a Palestinian flag in the background also drew crowds. But amid the bamboo bags, straw hats, handmade décor and geopolitical chatter, what stood out were Fathia’s handmade herbal soaps. She has previously travelled to France and other parts of Europe to sell her soaps , but it is India where she is now looking forward to doing good business.