Udaipur, January 1, 2025 - A record 1.54 lakh tourists visited the Shilpgram Festival in Udaipur in December 2024. Nearly 5,000 more tourists attended when compared to 2023 during which 1.49 lakh tourists had visited the festival, generating Rs 78.32 lakh.

This figure is based on ticket sales, and does not include tourists who visited after 3:00 pm on December 21, when entry was free, or those who had special entry passes for the 10-day event. This indicates that the actual number of visitors is even higher.

This also means that despite no cultural events being held during the last four days of the festival following national mourning on the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, visitors had continued to throng the venue, generating Rs 89.10 lakh in ticket sales.

The increase in tourist numbers and the suspension of cultural events had a direct impact on the craftsmen who came from across the country to the festival. Their income saw a boost, with sales reaching Rs 6.02 crore in 2024, compared to Rs 5.78 crore in 2023. Over 800 craftsmen from more than 400 stalls participated in the event this year.

West Zone Cultural Centre Director Furqan Khan said that the main attraction of the Shilpgram festival is folk arts. As a result, various selfie points were set up around the complex, such as the Hawa Mahal, sculptures, statues, zodiac symbols and Gavri effigies.