JOIN USWeaves, an exhibition of handlooms from across the country, is being held at Sindhoor Convention Centre, 15th cross, 1st phase, JP Nagar, till July 16. For those interested in a bit of shopping or even interacting with the artistes behind these fine products, this event is the perfect chance.
The exhibition is showcasing fabrics such as Coimbatore cottons; venkatgiri and mangalgiri of Andhra Pradesh; Pune and Nagpur cottons of Maharashtra;
chanderi and maheshwari from Madhya Pradesh; kota doria of Rajasthan; daccai of West Bengal, sambalpuri cottons of Orissa and Manipuri cottons. The traditional silks displayed and being sold at the event include rich kanjeevarams, crepe silks, dharmavarams, uppadas, pochampally silks, narayanpet, paithani and Benaras brocades. There are also a variety of non-mulberry silks or wild silks like kosa, eri, tussar and muga available here.
Giridhar, representative of a stall from Andhra Pradesh, says, “Kalamkari and pochampally dress materials and saris, are in demand now. This is an excellent opportunity for artisans like us.” Of the different items available at the exhibition, a few stalls which are dedicated to blouses and brocades will amaze you with their options.
Vikas from Calcutta has different items at his stall. He says, “Our items, whether they are blouses, sari brocades or materials, are all unique. We have celebrity styles with us like the ones which Madhuri wears in Jhalakh Dikhhlaja and more. We don’t have any repetitions and thus our items are sought after.”
In different shades and textures, these patterns can be stitched to make a unique addition to one’s wardrobe. The brocades come in a roll and can be stitched to an entire sari.
Apart from the fabric, there are also a number of options in the prints and embroideries available at the exhibition. The block and dabu prints, tie and dye from Rajasthan, bandhej and kutch embroidery from Gujarat, batiks of Madhya Pradesh, kantha and block prints of West Bengal, kasuti from Karnataka and kashida from Jammu and Kashmir, are among those that one can choose from.
“Despite our country having so much handloom weaving, people in the cities rarely get to see the art work, apart from at exhibitions like these. I haven’t shopped for a while and am really glad that I waited after seeing the different items options here,” says Ramalatha Krishiprasad, a retired teacher.
Another visitor, Juenette Sebastine, an exchange student from France who came for the exhibition, was amazed by the different colours and textures. “India is a land of colours for all those who are not natives here. This is my first experience at an exhibition in the City, and I’m really glad I came. The chikan work kurtis are my favourites here,” she says.