Kalagrama to promote art, handicrafts to come up in city

Kalagrama, or crafts village, where arts, handicrafts and handlooms from the state will be showcased, is set to come up in Bengaluru soon.

An initiative of the Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation (KSHDC), Kalagrama is proposed to come up on a 20-acre plot at Doddabidarakallu near Peenya.

KSHDC chairperson Kamalamma told reporters in Bengaluru that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will lay the foundation for the project, for which Rs 10 crore will be sanctioned in phases.

Kalagrama will have stalls where visitors can find arts and crafts from Karnataka as well as other states. Traditional and popular handicrafts from Karnataka, including sandalwood and rosewood carvings, brassware products, jewellery made from gems, bidriware, lacquerware, Navalgund dhurries, Kinnal toys and others will be on display.

Kamalamma said the Kalagrama will also have demonstration areas where visitors can watch artisans prepare handicrafts. Dormitories will be built for artisans to stay. There are also plans to offer training courses in handicrafts.

The government will also promote Kalagrama as a tourist destination. Besides the tourism department, Karnataka Khadi and Village Industries Board, Karnataka State Coir Development Corporation and Karnataka Handloom Development Corporation Ltd have been roped in to participate in the project.

Cauvery Emporium to be shifted
The landmark Cauvery Emporium, at the junction of MG Road and Brigade Road in Bengaluru, will soon move to its own building nearby. Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation (KSHDC) chairperson Kamalamma told reporters in Bengaluru that the emporium, a well-known showroom for handicrafts from Karnataka, is functioning from a rented premises and the owners have been seeking its possession. The emporium will move to its own three-storied building on MG Road around 50 metres away from the present premises. Moving to the new premises will help save around Rs 20 lakh a year. Renovation of the new building will be taken up soon but no deadline has been set for the shifting, KSHDC officials said.