The grounds of the UP Khadi & Village Industries Board in Dalibagh looked very different on Monday, 12th October 2026. Rows of stalls, bright fabrics, handmade pieces laid out with care, and a steady stream of shoppers made it feel like a proper festive bazaar. More than 45 artisan stalls took part, with craftspeople coming from different parts of the country. Textiles, handicrafts and handmade goods sat side by side, and the variety kept visitors moving from one stall to the next.
Alongside the artisans, a few FLO member vendors had stalls of their own, which gave the Mela a pleasant mix of professional craftspeople and women entrepreneurs from the chapter. The crowd was the main reason the day worked. Around 500 members and participants came through, and a good part of them came to shop. With Diwali close, there were gifts to buy, homes to decorate, and festive wardrobes to plan.
Members were choosing directly from the people who made the products, often stopping to ask about a technique or the story behind a piece. Each of those purchases supported an artisan’s household at the best possible time of year. Midway through the day, FLO members took over with a live singing and music jam session. It was informal and cheerful, and it pulled in more footfall. Shoppers lingered, listened and hummed along, and the Mela turned into something closer to a festival than an exhibition.
Puja Garg, National President of FICCI FLO, visited during the day and met the artisans and members at the stalls. Her visit added national-level recognition to the work FLO Lucknow has been doing for craftspeople and gave the exhibitors a lift. By the evening, stalls were thinner, bags were fuller, and the mood was good. The Mela did what it was meant to do: it gave craft families a strong festive market and gave members an easy way to shop with purpose.