Editor’s Note
This report details the record-breaking attendance at a New Delhi fair, highlighting the unprecedented public turnout and the most popular areas of the event.
New Delhi: Nearly 150,000 people visited the fair on Sunday, setting an all-time record for the event. By 3:30 PM, around 115,000 people had already arrived. The largest crowds were seen around Halls 1 and 2, right in front of which is the food court, attracting the most visitors. Significant crowds were also present in front of Hall 8.
ITPO officials stated that by 7:30 PM on Sunday, 150,000 people were present at the fair. Monday is a holiday and also the final day of the fair, raising expectations of another massive turnout. Consequently, enhanced security arrangements have been made. Despite the high number of people at the fair at one time, there was no excessive crowding at any gate of Pragati Maidan, except for a slight crowd at Gate No. 10, primarily because it is located right next to the Supreme Court Metro Station.
At a stall set up by the Ministry of Mines, dinosaur eggs have become a center of attraction for visitors. These dinosaur eggs were discovered in 1981 in Rayoli village, Kheda district, Gujarat. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has displayed these eggs at the fair. They weigh between 5 to 10 kilograms.
If you are wearing a ring with coral, topaz, sapphire, zircon, or any other gemstone, you can get its quality checked for free at the Trade Fair. The Geological Survey of India has set up a stall for natural and polished gemstones obtained from minerals. Daily, around 50 people get their gemstones checked here. So far, 600-650 people have had their gemstones examined. Over half were found to be adulterated, while 5 percent of the gemstones were completely fake.
Crowds have been significant at the fair for the last two to three days, and the final day today is also expected to be busy. The crowd is being monitored from a control room set up on the ground floor of the administrative block by ITPO. On 25 LED screens, ITPO security in-charges, along with Delhi Police and CISF personnel, are keeping watch on each hall, pavilion, food court, and the gates of Pragati Maidan. No complaints of theft, harassment, or disputes have been reported at the fair so far.
