Artisans from across the country have a reason to rejoice as they have all come together under one roof at an exhibition called Vastrabhushana, organised by Sampoorn, which is being held at Chitrakala Parishat. The exhibition, that is on till September 4 with as many as 40 weavers from different states, was inaugurated by Sandalwood actress Harshika Poonacha recently.

She said, “This is a haven for girls looking for artistic accessories and clothes. You can walk in and walk out with a complete ethnic look from here. There is a trend among the youth to go to countries like Bangkok and Thailand for shopping. Little do they know that there is so much that the country has to offer and how rich our cultural heritage is.”

She said everything on display was not only colourful and vibrant, but pocket-friendly too. “The prices are reasonable. There are no middlemen involved and the weavers and artisans directly benefit from the sales.” A fashion show of traditional wear was organised as part of the inauguration. Harshika walked the ramp in a sari along with other
models. 

Stall owners seemed to be very excited to be part of the exhibition. Venkat, a wholesale dealer of kundan jewellery, is taking part in the exhibition for the first time. He said, “The response has been good so far. We expect a lot of crowd over the weekends. As this is my first time in an exhibition, I don’t know what kind of profits to expect. I am looking forward to see homemakers and other professionals during the weekend.”  Another weaver, Ramulu, has come all the way from Andhra Pradesh to be part of the exhibition. He said, “My brother and I take part in Vastrabhushana every year. I have mangalagiri, pochampally and other kinds of cotton saris. The show has benefitted us a lot.”

For regular visitors to Chitrakala Parishat, this exhibition is different from what they have seen earlier. Anju, a resident of RT Nagar, said, “I make it a point to visit the exhibitions organised by Sampoorn. Every year, the collection is unique and the quality of all the material is good. Be it the silk and cotton linen, or even the carpets, I like the prints and these have helped in improving the look of my house.”

Vastrabhushana is on till September 4 and is open from 10 am to 7.30 pm.