Village crafts come alive

A walk through the Gandhi Shilp Bazar gives you the feeling of being in a quaint, faraway village.A wide array of artifacts from 25 different states are being showcased at the Gandhi Shilp Bazar 2011 at Siva Temple ( Ernakulathappan) Ground. Initiated by the Ministry of Textiles and the Kerala Artisans Development Corporation, the handicrafts expo has a whopping 200 artisans and close to 150 stalls as part of it. Handicrafts of distinct varieties are the highlight of the expo. Venus handicrafts from Alapuzha showcases an aesthetic collection of wooden jewel boxes, sea shell idols and jute wall hangings. There are plenty of show-pieces, made out of brass. The gigantic figures of idols like Thirupathi Venkideshwara and Ganapathi made of nine grams are also a  highlight. Figurines made out of hand-made soft metals that are washable and unbreakable are also part of the display. A stall, Hasthakala from Mulanthuruthy has a unique collection of cotton bags, tea cosy, apron, glows and other kitchen utensils. What sets the store apart from the others is that the items are made from cloth remains. The cut piece bags are quite economical, starting from `25.Haryana sandals like nagin chappal, crafted in the form of snake is quite unique. Peshawari sandals from Lahore, Jodhpuri shoes with decorative works have also been brought in. For jewellery lovers, the collection is impressive. Pearl bangles and chains, antique jewellery, panjaloha bangles, crystals, kundan sets, navarathna chains are all available at the stalls. Original temple jewellery from Nagarcoil with traditional design patterns is another highlight. There is also a wide collection of accessories made out of Italian glass beads from Alapuzha. Door curtains, table mats, files, bags, thread curtains made of Talipot fibre, a kind of palm trunk from Kanyakumari is a native highlight.  Sandals, insole, bed keeps, seat cover, roll curtains, mats, air purifier, pillows made out of Vetiver (Ramacham)  - that is known for its cooling and cleansing properties -  are also quite in demand at the expo.Traditional items like earthen lamps, clay utensils along with ek mukhi rudraksh, saalagram and other such pooja material from Nepal are also displayed. Bamboo sofa sets from Meghalaya are another attraction. A number of stalls have women from Arunachal Pradesh showcasing exquisite hand-made flowers made of dry flower petals, corn leaves, wool, pape and cocoons. An artisan, Natarajan from Tamil Nadu has an interesting stall of single and double storeyed houses made of bamboo. He also demonstrates how to make the bamboo houses. There are several stalls from UP, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh and Northern states displaying their wide range of textiles. There are Banaras silk sarees and Palakkadan hand woven set saris with eye-catching patterns . The price of set saris range from 300 to 6000. West Bengal being the land of cotton saris, there is a large collection of Tussar silk along with Kanda and cotton saris. Special attraction at the expo is a stall that has figurines of theyyam, kadhakali and other artistic forms made using wood and acrylic. The stall also has a collection of mural paintings. Madhubani hand-made paintings and handicrafts from Bihar using cow dung, vegetable colours, match sticks also stand apart.“Since the craftsmen are selling their stuff directly to the public, they are being made available at a reasonable rate,” says G Koshi, the controller of the expo. The exhibition will conclude on Friday.