The North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation has organised a crafts festival in the city, showcasing handmade items.
On display are a variety of exhiibits such as dry flowers, hand paintings, bamboo and cane furniture, bags, wallets, wall hangings, stone jewellery and wooden carvings painstakingly crafted by artisans from the North Eastern states of Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.
The expo, sponsored by the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, is aimed at encouraging artisans from the North East.
With over 60 stalls of handmade products, the expo also showcases items made in Gujarat, khadi kurtas from Uttar Pradesh and shawls and saris from Jammu and Kashmir.
“We have products ranging from `2 to `45,000. All these items are exclusive to those States, particularly the bamboo and cane furniture, which last longer,” said K Balasubramanian of the North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation.
The other products available include longpi stone pottery, which is unique to Manipura, by the Tangkhul Naga tribe and the pottery in its characteristic grey-black colour, available in all shapes and sizes like kettles, bowls, mugs, with a lacing of fine cane.
“Made from weather rock and serpentinite crushed to powder and mixed with a certain ratio of clay, the biggest advantage is that they can withstand heat, helping in food storage for a long shelf life,” explained Presley, Manipuri artisan.
The exhibition is on till March 17 at the Co-optex Exhibition Ground, Egmore.