PATNA: Bihar Saras Mela 2026 was inaugurated at Gyan Bhavan, Patna on Sunday evening with the aim of promoting rural industrialization and providing a market to women involved in self-help groups. Rural Development Minister Sharun Kumar inaugurated the festival by cutting the ribbon. The fair will continue from September 20 to 29. After the inauguration, the minister visited various stalls and interacted with women entrepreneurs. The fair has stalls for handicrafts, handlooms, decorative items, organic products, handicrafts and traditional country dishes. Women industrialists associated with self-help groups from 15 states including Bihar are participating in the fair with their products. On this occasion, Minister Sharun Kumar also unveiled the new logo of the collective brand of women industrialists 'Baharika'. He said that through this brand, the products of 'Jivenica Didis' will get a new identity and they will get better opportunities to reach the wider market. The minister said that the main objective of 'Jivenica' is to organize the poor families and strengthen their sources of income and employment. Many important schemes are being run in the state for economic empowerment of women. He appealed to the public to come to Saris Mela and buy the products made by rural women and encourage them. Himanshu Sharma, Chief Executive Officer of Jivenica said that Saris Mela is providing a big platform to rural women's hard work, skills and entrepreneurship. Additional Chief Secretary H. R. Srinivas said that the Saras Mela is playing an important role in connecting the rural products with the urban and national markets. The function started with the National Anthem, while the 'Jivnika didis' welcomed the guests by offering green plants. It ended with the Bihar state song. On this occasion, former Assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Choudhary, Member of Parliament Ravinder Prasad Singh, officers of Jivenica, 'Jivenica Didiyan' from different districts, women industrialists from other states and a large number of dignitaries were present.