Dehradun Heritage Fair: Turkish Sweet Delicacy, Madhubani Painting Steal The Show

The vegetarian sweet dish called Baklava is prepared with cornflour, honey, ghee and dry fruits. It lasts for three months without refrigeration.

Dehradun: Dirkish desert and Madhubani or Mithila paintings have become the centre of attraction in the heritage fair, held from October 15 to 19, at ONGC Ambedkar Stadium in Dehradun in Uttrakhand. The fair, held annually, draws international sellers apart from their domestic counterparts. A stall of special sweets from Turkey is grabbing the eyeballs with its look and aroma. The stall offers more than two dozen Turkish delicacies alongside the world-famous Baklava sweets, which have a special likeness among the visitors.

Dawood Amiri, the operator of the Turkish dessert stall, said he has more than 21 varieties of Baklava. All the products are vegetarian. Pure cornflour is used in making these products along with honey, ghee and dry fruits. These are traditional food items of Turkey. These products last three months even if not frozen.

Bihar's famous Madhubani Painting at a stall (ETV Bharat)

Akshita from Dehradun, who was shopping at the stall, said this was an altogether different experience at the fair this year. Though she read about Baklava on the internet, she got to taste these sweets only this year.

Simultaneously, the traditional Mithila Painting from Bihar is another showstopper. Also known as Madhubani Painting as it is done by artisans of the Madhuban area, the artwork depicts mythological stories of Ramayana Mahabharata as well as the stories of environment and King Shailesh.

Prasun Kumar, the owner of the stall selling these paintings, said the artwork is done on the walls of the houses with natural colours as the main ingredients. Colours derived from spinach, turmeric and the ashes from the burnt-out candles for green, yellow and black respectively, are used in Madhubani artworks.

Shanti Devi and Shivam Pasawan receive Padma Shri from President Droupadi Murmu (ETV Bharat)

The central government recognised this unique artefact in 1971, giving a boost to its global appeal. Kumar's in-laws, Shivam Pasawan and Shanti Devi, were bestowed Padma Shri on April 22, 2024, for their mastery of Madhubani Painting.

Kumar said the paintings are sold from Rs 10,000 to Rs 200 apiece. Those who understand the artwork take a keen interest in buying a variety of such paintings for their religious significance and home decoration.