CHENNAI : From 2000, The Crafts Council of India has been presenting Kamala Awards in memory of Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, founder of CCI. The award is given to honour crafts activists and hereditary artisans for their contribution towards the country’s heritage. The ceremony at Mayor Ramanathan Chettiar Hall, recently, started with a mellifluous invocation prayer song, followed by a welcome address by Gita Ram, the chairperson of CCI. The guests for the event were Robert G Burgess, US Consul General, Didem Achim Fabig, psychologist and gestalt therapist and Ismail Khatri, master craftsperson, Bhuj.
Out of the 100 applicants, the shortlisted candidates were felicitated with awards under different categories with specific citations. The highest among the Kamala Awards, Kamala Samman Award, was given to Kasturi Gupta Menon, president, CCI and former IAS officer, for her revival of handlooms and handicrafts for the past several decades. The Kamala Award for Contribution to Crafts was given to Dayalal Atmaram Kudecha from Bhujodi. Kudecha has been weaving contemporary and traditional designs for 25 years.
Two people from Chennai featured on the list of awardees this year. R Selvanathan Stapati was honoured for Outstanding Preservation for Contribution of Indian Art, Craft and Tradition. Coming from a family of temple architects and sculptors, he has restored several temples and designed new projects. The Kamala Award for Excellence in Craftsmanship 2018 went to city-based TK Barani, who is the last of sandalwood miniature carvers.
The Shanta Prasad Award for Excellence in Craftsmanship 2018 was given to Farooq Ahmed Mir from Srinagar for reviving the art of Keni shawl making. Ambika Devi from Madhubani, Bihar, was bestowed with Kamala Award for Excellence in Craftsmanship 2018. For the first time, from this year, CCI has introduced the Young Artisan Award.
The recipient was Adil Khatri from Bhuj. “I come from the family of Kutchi bandhini (tie-dye technique) artists. I’ve also been taking training from Somaiya Kala Vidya, a design education for artisans of Kutch. These awards are the biggest incentive for aspiring artisans to keep the tradition alive,” shared Adil. The dignitaries spoke about reinventing traditions, cultural diversities and reviving handloom sectors. The two-hour programme ended with a special dance recital Sahrdaya by Priyadarsini Govind and her two students.