North Indian Handicrafts Mela Lures Art Buffs

A woman visitor having a look at the artificial flowers exhibited as part of 

the crafts festival at Moghal hall in Vijayawada on Tuesday

VIJAYAWADA: The lively, colourful and attractive artefacts and handloom products on display at the ongoing ‘Crafts Festival’ in Moghal Hall of the city, are showcasing the talents of North Indian craftsmen and artisans. The exhibition, which kicked off on November 14, is luring various sections of art and craft buffs including young girls/boys and the elderly.

The mela is being organised by Purbashree Emporium of North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation Limited, Shillong and sponsored by the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) of Government of India with a view to provide a platform for craftsmen belonging to the eight states of North India.

Around 60 stalls have been put up at the expo where traditional and innovative art works including cane furniture, cane and bamboo baskets, cane woven items, hand printed woven textiles, hand-woven silk and cotton saris, embroidered stuff, wood carving, leather bags, terracotta, dry flowers, Kouna cushion, Lucknow chicken Kurtis and jute items are being exhibited. “We have been coming here in November for the past 14 years to display and sell our art works. All the products we sell are rare and without any chemical application,” said Bijoi Kumardey, deputy manager of the mela.

Thronging the ‘Crafts Festival’, the venue is presenting a good pltform for introducing craftsmen to interact directly with buyers and helping them find their patrons. “About 5,000 customers visit the mela every day and the count reached 10,000 during weekends. We are expecting more sales this year. We are offering 10 per cent discount on handicrafts and 20 per cent on handlooms. The exhibition will continue till Nov 30 and is open for the public from 9 am to 7 pm,” he added.

Hand-carved brass items from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh priced at Rs 250-7,000, white metal worth Rs 200-10,000, bed sheets, leather and jute bags ranged from Rs 200 to Rs 700, Rajasthani stone items, bangles, ear rings costing Rs 60 and record players worth Rs 5,000 from Uttar Pradesh grabbed the attention of many and stood at top in the priority of the customers.

“Most of the young girls are fascinated by the jute bags, which are available at Rs 200-600. The jute-made hangings also claimed a position in the list of top items sold this year. By the end of the day, we earned a minimum of Rs 2,500 and during the last three days of the festival,” said Kalidas, who has set up a stall of jute items from Assam. The middle-aged women crowded the stalls of home decor items, which included handmade bed sheets, sofa covers and et al.

“These handmade items look really good. The carpets especially are looking amazing with variations in colours from maroon to purple,” said A Sharada, a homemaker from Seetharampuram.

Meanwhile, a few customers felt sorry about the no-bargain-please policy of the stall owners as all the handicrafts and handlooms are being sold at fixed prices. “Though the items are pure handmade and non-toxic, the prices are high. They are selling at fixed prices with only 10 per cent discount. So, I bought only a small brass item worth Rs 250,” said M Padmavathi Devi, resident of Moghalrajpuram.