Dasara Fine Arts and Handicrafts Sub-Committee will not only provide a platform for budding artists to display their works, but also hone their skills.

Disclosing this to media here on Sunday, Member Secretary of the Sub-committee V A Deshpande, also dean of Chamaraja Academy of Visual Arts (CAVA), said: “For the first time, the sub-committee has organised both demonstration and coaching in various art and craft forms at Kannada Karanji building on Dasara Exhibition Grounds. It includes traditional painting, glass painting, mask-making, mural design, paper craft, clay idol making, etc. Deshpande said, experts in the fields will share their knowledge.

In another first, a photography contest has been organised for press photographers. The best of photographs of Dasara and Grameena Dasara will get prizes.

The exhibition of various artefacts will be inaugurated on October 5. Already 250 art works have been received from various artists. The number of participants is expected to increase with the deadline extended up to September 30. The works invited are in nine categories — nature painting, traditional sculpture, handicrafts, graphic photography, inlay, etc — which will also be adjudged for prizes.

On October 12, an exhibition of artefacts of senior artists has been organised. On the spot drawing competition for children in different age groups has also been organised on the same day at 9 am, said Deshpande.

Doll Show contest is another attraction, in which the first three winners will get prizes under each of the three Legislative Assembly constituencies. ‘Chitra Santhe’ (fair of artefacts) has been organised on October 6 at 9 am on Vinobha Road in front of Nanjaraj Bahadur Choultry.

Two sub-committees

To facilitate wide planning, for the first time in the history of Dasara, Sub-committee for fine arts and handicrafts headed by Mehboob Sharif (Babu) has been included among 23 sub-committees, besides another sub-committee at Dasara Exhibition, headed by former corporator Hemavathi.