The ministry of development of north eastern region (DoNER) and the Haryana government have joined hands to promote the craft, cuisine and culture of the Northeast and the north Indian state for the next five years.

To this effect, the North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation (NEHHDC), which is under the administrative control of the DoNER, and the Haryana government’s department of heritage and tourism on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Delhi.

The joint initiative will see both government agencies push for “bilateral, cross-cultural exchange and promotion” of handicrafts, handlooms, textiles, crafts, culture and cuisine of the state of Haryana and the Northeast.

“This MoU will be a game-changer for the development of tourism and empower the artisans from both the Northeast region and the state of Haryana to showcase their rich cultural heritage and craftsmanship, fostering a deeper appreciation and understanding of their artistry among the people while also opening up new economic markets for their products,” an official statement said.

According to the statement, Haryana’s heritage tourism department, as part of the MoU, will allow the NEHHDC to participate as the Theme State in the famed annual Surajkund Mela for the next five years.

Surajkund Mela, launched in 1987, is an annual event organised at Surajkund in Faridabad district by Haryana Tourism in collaboration with the Union tourism, textiles, culture and external affairs ministries.

A separate zone with 60 stalls within the Surajkund Mela will be provided to the NEHHDC for setting up stalls to showcase their offerings, particularly arts, crafts, handlooms, handicrafts and cuisine from the Northeast “free of cost”.

The mela showcases the “richness and diversity of the handicrafts, handlooms and cultural fabric of India” and is the “largest crafts fair in the world”.

On its part, the NEHHDC will “coordinate/liaise with relevant departments/event organisers/agencies” on behalf of the department of heritage and tourism of Haryana to provide it with “multiple platforms for participation in major festivals in the Northeast, such as the Hornbill Festival and Mon Festival (both Nagaland), Sangai Festival (Manipur), Cherry Blossom Festival (Meghalaya) and Ziro Music Festival (Arunachal Pradesh).

The NEHHDC, founded in 1977, develops and promotes the indigenous crafts from the Northeast and runs the Purbashree Emporia in Shillong, Guwahati, Calcutta, New Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai through which it sells handicrafts and handlooms procured from artisans and weavers from the region.