JOIN USShowcasing intricate works
Says Shalini Sudarshan, Sampoorn’s secretary, “We have aimed at bringing as many artistes as possible from all over India under one roof through this exhibition. As one steps into the venue, the first stall to catch the eye is the one selling environment-friendly products made of banana fibre in combination with korai grass, hibiscus, jute and wool. These artisans, who hail from Chitradurga, manufacture the fabric and then it is sent to Bangalore to be made into bags and other accessories. Another brilliant item on display was different forms of kites. Says Touseef Mian from Uttar Pradesh, “These can be used either for flying purposes or for decorative use like wall hangings etc.” There were also stalls selling show pieces made of sandalwood from Haryana and also metal lanterns in different shapes and sizes that could be used for varied purposes. Various kinds of imitation jewellery in metal and oxidised forms was also exhibited. But what caught the fancy of many was the stall selling terracotta jewellery by Chiguru Enterprise.
Says Shantha, a banking professional, “These items are very beautiful. Moreover, they are made using natural materials, so it is a very good initiative.” Another eco-friendly display of products were the paintings based on Mithila Lok Chitra, an art form from Bihar. Says Ashok Kumar Das, the owner of the stall, “In this art form, we use only vegetable dyes like turmeric, root juice and flower-based colours in careful strokes of a matchstick.”
About the exhibition he says, “On the downside, it is a little expensive for us to travel from different parts of the country but this is very helpful for us to make our products available to a wide section of the public.”
Some of the other products on display are herbal products from Jharkand, organic foods from Andhra Pradesh, Manipur’s longfee pottery, oak wood silks from Uttarkhand, art depicting epics from West Bengal, fabrics of Gujarat, pateena craft from Delhi, bamboo craft and grass art forms from Kerala.