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Just 20 km from Delhi’s city centre, between the villages of Baharpur and Lakkarpur, lies Surajkund – a village that subsists on grazing livestock and stone quarrying. Also the venue of an annual Crafts Fair in February.

Now here lies a village scene on Delhi’s doorstep, 20 km from the city centre, in the state of Haryana. The name itself is taken from a splendid water tank that is believed to have been constructed by the Rajput king Suraj Pal in the 11^th century. Another historical reference in 1876 placed it between the villages of Baharpur and Lakkarpur.

Ideal for those wanting to sample a rural setting in a hurry, Surajkund is usually visited as part of a day trip. However, an overnight stay in one of the Haryana Tourism properties will enable a greater antidote to metropolitan stress. As one drives away, leaving behind the congestion of the city, there is a perceptibly new charge in the air.

On arrival at Surajkund, one will see the impressive dimensions of the tank blending attractively with the rocky terrain. The local community is small, making a living out of grazing their livestock or the stone quarries nearby that feed building and construction work in the city. It is as though after the frenetic pace of the capital, time suddenly stands still here.

As one tunes into the rustic grid, from the belly of the nearby clumps meal on earthen chulhas fuelled by cow dung. In summer, the long hot afternoon gives way to a more comfortable evening as the birds come back to the treetops and the cattle return home for the night. Of forest will probably emerge a peacock, resplendent in its colourful plumage. Local folk dot the patches of shade around the trees. The men of the family, though spread out on a charpoy drawing on a hookah, will be uncannily aware of the movement of their cattle. The routine supervision of the herd may be left to the youngsters who unleash their energies coaxing an unwilling cow or even riding the occasional buffalo!

The scene will, of course, include a spiral of smoke as it twists upwards beyond the trees. Right there, the women will be busy readying the day’s.

Winter lends an altogether different character to the area. The air is crisp, inviting a day out in the open. But the highlight of the cold weather is the annual Surajkund Crafts Mela held between the 1^st and the 15^th of February every year in the village complex. This fortnight-long gathering of craftspersons from all over India has become one of the most prominent cultural fairs in the tourism calendar. Attractively organised on the periphery of the water tank, the Mela brings together potters, embroiderers, weavers, wood carvers, metal workers, stonesmiths, painters and other craftsmen who have achieved distinction in traditional skills, across the length and breadth of the country. This is not all. For there are also folk dancers, musicians, acrobats and magicians who keep up a running performance for the visitors’ entertainment. One may sample instant demonstrations by the craftsmen while enjoying local cuisine traditionally served. The choice is vast, so one may require several visits from Delhi to take it all in! By any yardstick, a great village getaway!