The tenth edition of the open flea market—BAC Mela— took place at the premises of Bikalpa Art Centre (BAC) on Saturday, October 29. This edition of the monthly market featured 10 stalls showcasing handicrafts, jewelleries, custom-made mugs, books, movies and a section for second hand products.

BAC, which was established in 2009, is a fusion of an art centre, a cafe and an art studio. Speaking to the post about the concept of this unique art centre and market, Founding Director, Saroj Mahato said, “When me and my wife, Mahima started out this place, our aim was to create a space where people can meet and share their ideas, not just about art but many other stuff.

We wanted to create a community hub so that we can bridge the gap between art and community and bring them together.” He added, “Flea market is a great place to showcase ideas and product and also meet new people, so we decided to host this as a monthly event.”

Besides the food and product stalls, the market also featured workshops for children, musical performances and slam poetry. Speaking about the uniqueness of this market compared to other similar markets in the city, Mahato said, “There are few other open markets in the city but we are different to them in a sense that we just not have crafts or farmer’s market but varieties of things. Our products are local Nepali products and hand-me-downs. More than a market it is a platform for anyone who wants to showcase their talent or products. We try to give exposure to young entrepreneurs through the market.”

The market this month saw stalls from Pibb gifts, Himalayan Jewellery, The Tiny Garden, ZiGi and others along with musical performance from Iris Kolodji , Bee Numb, and others.

The BAC mela is held on the last Saturday of every month.