CHANDIGARH: At the G20 summit venue at Bharat Mandapam a range of GI-tagged products from Himachal Pradesh is on display. These include Chamba Rumals made by Padma Shri recipient Lalita Vakil, stoles and shawls from national award winner Gulab Naotam, Bodh shawls, local sheep wool products from Kullvi Whims based in Naggar and toys from Chap Foundation and local NGO in Dharamshala Dolls4Tibet. Also making a bold statement are trinkets like key rings and fridge magnets by students of the Fine Art College.
Sources said the HP State Handicrafts and Handloom Corporation has a special stall created for G20 leaders at Pragati Maidan in which crafts of various states are on display. Lalita Vakil has showcased the exquisitely embroidered rumals (handkerchiefs) of Chamba which depict epic scenes of Ramayana and Mahabharata besides depicting the daily lifestyle and folk stories of the region.
It takes at least three weeks to complete a one-by-one ft rumal with borders on all sides. Miniature paintings of the Chamba school, leather products, mainly Chamba chappals (slippers), and metal artifacts are on display. Also on display are Kullu and Kinnauri shawls, ‘patti’ (made from sheep wool), Kangra miniature paintings and souvenirs and toys made by Gaddi pastoralists, and the British-era Kangra tea. These have been protected by GI tags by the European Union.