The Rajasthan Cotton Fab, an exhibition of handlooms and handicrafts from all over India being held at the Kandamkulam Jubilee Hall here, is offering a golden opportunity for the shopaholics in the city to choose from a wide variety of products such as kantha sarees, khadi sarees, chanderi silk cotton sarees, gagra choli and dhabu block-printed saree.
What makes this 17-day exhibition that commenced on May 31 different is that it features the variety of the ethnic Indian fabric. The exhibition is organised by the Taj Bahuddeshiya Sahakari Samithi with a goal to promote the products of longestablished traditional artisans in the nation. With a rich collection of handloom products from various states of the country, the Rajasthan Cotton Fab has already turned a crowd-puller. “I have never seen such a wonderful collection of kurtis before,” said Swetha from Puthiyangadi, a visitor.
“Many artforms in the country have gone into oblivion. To bring a positive change in the lives of artisans, we, Taj Bahuddeshiya, conduct exhibitions and craft bazars in various parts of the country for marketing their products without any middlemen,” said Taj Bahuddeshiya Sahakari Samiti manager S R Suthar. The exhibition has as many as 54 stalls including a stall exclusively devoted to aboriginal paintings from Odisha. “I take it as a great opportunity to introduce our cultural heritage to the Keralites,” said Bharat Das, a Patachithra painter from Odisha.
The exhibition also offers a 20 percent discount on all products being sold here. Master craftsmen from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and Haryana have come all the way to participate in the exhibition with eye-catching handloom products. After completing their tour in Kerala, the artisans are planning to conduct exhibitions in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Thanking Kozhikodans for their whole-hearted support, Pradeep Das and Fajul Hussain said, “Monsoon is the most favourable season for us to hold exhibitions of products from North India.
We found that the artisans, though work hard, often fail to earn a fair income from their crafts due to the lack of proper exposure. Here we make their efforts recognised. Apart from sarees, churidars, bags made of silk cloth, children’s attire, Rajasthan blankets, curtains and ornaments are the other major attractions at the expo. Silk bags have high demand among both the college-going students and housewives. Most of them prefer it for functions, said an artisan.
“The exhibition can be taken as the easiest and simple way to understand the cultural differences in India,” Rajagopal, a teacher from Arayadathupalam, said.
The exhibition is on till June 18.
