Lamps, idols beckon visitors at Poompuhar expo

Exquisitely designed lamps and idols made out of brass, bronze and ‘Panchaloha,’ at the venue are the main attraction of Poompuhar exhibition by Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd.

The exhibition, that displays the handicrafts prepared by artisans in Tamil Nadu, has come to the coastal city for the fourth time with an objective to cater to the needs of handicraft loving Mangaloreans.

Though a variety of items are on display at the exhibition, the main attraction remains to be the metal lamps and idols. Intricately designed brass and bronze lamps and Panchaloha idols that can adorn the houses, temples and hotels, reflect the hard work of the artisans.

Panchaloha idols of Nataraja, Ardhanarishwara, Ganesha, Dakshinamurthy, Rajarajeshwari are for sale at the exhibition.

A variety of lamps including traditional brass oil lamps such as ‘Annam’ lamps, step lamps, branch lamps and ‘Lakshmi Deepam’ are here for the lamp enthusiasts.

Apart from the metal articles, there are other items like Madurai saree, precious and semi precious stones, Hyderabad pearls, artificial jewellery, Tanjore paintings for sale at the exhibition. Showing some of the samples of famous Madurai sarees, stall salesman Anwar said that the customers who are aware of the significance of natural colour sarees would definitely buy them.

“Vegetable print sarees are hand made and are washed seven times in the process of making.These sarees not only offer a soothing look, but also bring a positive vibe to the body of the person who wears it. They help to absorb excessive body temperature and controls sugar,” he said.

There are 20 stalls participating in the exhibition and there is something for every one, said Poompuhar Manager S Manikandan.

Though some of the handicrafts are priced at higher side, the price of metal crafts on display ranges from Rs 37 (small brass lamps) to a Panchaloha idol of Mahavishnu in a sleeping posture worth Rs 50 lakh.

Apart from the six stalls from Tamil Nadu, there are stalls from Maharshtra, Odisha and Punjab.

“This is for the fourth time Poompuhar has come to Mangalore. During our last exhibition we had made transaction worth Rs 15 lakh, and this time we expect to make transaction worth Rs 25 lakh,” he said. Most of the customers for Poompuhar products are businessmen, hoteliers and temple authorities.

Poompuhar is the Handicrafts Development Corporation of the Government of Tamil Nadu formed in 1973.

Mayor Mahabala Marla who inaugurated the exhibition  asked Mangaloreans to visit the exhibition and savour the culture and tradition of Tamil Nadu that is reflected in these handicrafts.