CRAFTSMANSHIP: Items on display at the handicrafts exhibition at Nanjaraj Bahadur Choultry in Mysore. — PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

MYSORE: A wide array of handicraft items ranging from Sungudi saris to bedsheets, musical instruments including the veena and the violin, gipsy beads and Swamimalai bronze icons have been put up for display at the exhibition-cum-sale at Nanjaraj Bahadur Choultry in the city.

The exhibition, which has been organised by Small Industries Product Promotion Organisation (SIPPO), a Government of Tamil Nadu undertaking, also has chudidars, dupattas, shirts, Tanjore paintings, craft items made from pith, root carvings, leather items and different types of kuthuvilaku on display.

Open on Sundays

The handicrafts exhibition was declared open by Assistant Commissioner of Handicrafts Marketing Centre, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, S.C. Devaramani on January 6. It will remain open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. till January 15, including on Sundays.

More than 20 artisans, who are exhibiting their products, will also stage a live demonstration on the preparation of various handicraft items.

Aesthetic value

According to SIPPO officials, the handicraft items were selected for display because of their high aesthetic and functional value as they reflect the depth and finery of the Indian culture. They said that while the Indian handicraft industry had been classified as a cottage industry, its importance to the country's economy should not be underestimated.

For, the industry employed millions of artisans, mostly in the small-scale sector, such as carpet, gem and jewellery manufacturing, and was a growing source of foreign exchange, they added.

A press release from SIPPO pointed out that the handicraft industry is labour-intensive and spread over cities and villages.

`Part-time'

"Many artisans work in their chosen field on a part-time basis," the statement said.

The purpose behind holding handicraft exhibitions in different parts of the country was to create awareness among the people on the products of artisans from all over Tamil Nadu, and also to facilitate their marketing, it added.

Role of handicrafts

SIPPO expects handicrafts to assume a significant role in the growing economy of the country in coming years.

The ten-day exhibition at Nanjaraj Bahadur choultry is part of SIPPO's efforts to bring handicrafts and craftsmen into focus.

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