THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Rich and varied handicrafts from across the country line up at ‘Surabhi’, the All India Crafts Fair organised by Kerala State Handicrafts Apex Co-operative Society at VJT Hall. Choices are aplenty for visitors to pick with a wide array of handloom clothing, artifacts and jewellery priced at different rates. Artisans from Kashmir, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have showcased their artistic prowess on numerous materials. The exhibition is organised on the sidelines of the Easter-Vishu festive season.
In the textile category, men and women can select their pick from kurta, khadi jubba, sarees, ghagra choli and churidar material. An exclusive collection of cotton and khadi kurtas are fetched from Jaipur and Uttar Pradesh respectively. Colourful ghagra cholis from Jaipur are available at a price range of ` 200 and 950. Kashmiri kurtis, Gujarat handloom cotton sarees with block print, Handwoven Bandhani silk sarees, Bhagalpur silk churidar material from Bihar, Handwoven and printed cotton sari from Madurai and Rajasthan Khadi Jubba can be seen at the exhibition. Attractively hand-printed cotton bedsheets, pillow and pillow cover made of a mix of silk, cotton and jute are from Jaipur.
Showpieces from Orissa, perfect for home decor, are attention-grabbing. Artistic excellence of tribal people from Orissa reflect on the Dhokra art works in brass having engravings depicting the tribal life and stories popular among them. Bookmarks and gift envelopes in palm leaf too are among the masterpieces from Orissa. Beautiful wall hanging frames made of cane, glass and velvet with palm leaf engravings inside are worth a gaze.
The ornament collection is impressive with the number and variety of selections. A big attraction is the multi-coloured stone ornaments from Jaipur made from semi-precious natural stones like coral, ruby, emerald, amber, opal, lapiz lazuli, calcedonia, agate etc. They are available as embedded on 92.5 carat silver on rings and necklaces. The price starts at ` 400 and goes up as the size increases.
Terracotta jewellery has a wonderful collection of necklaces, earrings and bangles from Calcutta. Rajasthani artisans have come with ornaments made of crystal and glass beads.
Participants from the city have displayed ‘Aranmula Kannadi’ for making ‘vishukani’ this season. The minimum cost of a mirror is ` 1000. Along with that are showpieces and idols made of rosewood and mahogany modelled as gods and goddesses, animals, kathakali, clock and the Asoka pillar. Bamboo table mat and table runner made by the Kudumbashree unit in the city too are exhibited.
The exhibition will conclude on Sunday. Timing: from 10 am to 9 pm.