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Coastal town’s handicrafts spell magic in Romania

V.K. Munusamy with his terracotta works which were on display at an exhibition held last month at Bucharest in Romania.

PUDUCHERRY: Artisan from Puducherry V.K. Munusamy was part of a five-member team which was selected by the Centre to represent and demonstrate the handicrafts of the country at a 10-day exhibition in Bucharest, Romania.

For Mr. Munusamy, who is also the president of the Pondicherry Pudumai Handicrafts Artisans Cooperative Society, the trip to Romania for a crafts demonstration programme came as an enriching experience. He got an opportunity not only to showcase his skills but also promote the handicrafts of Puducherry.

He along with four artisans from Kashmir, West Bengal, Gujarat and Rajasthan were selected by the Union Ministry of Textiles, Development Commissioner of Handicrafts, for the programme organised by the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs, the National Village Museum ‘Dimitrie Gusti’, Bucharest, Romania and the Indian Embassy from November 19 to 28.

“Romania has terracotta handicrafts but they do not make decorative handicrafts as in Puducherry. On the other hand, we use terracotta to make decorative works such as miniature works,” said Mr. Munusamy.

At the demonstration, the artisan had made statues of village gods such as “Ayyanar.” fighting bull, “Aravaan” and Buddha in terracotta. Besides, he had also taken terracotta handicrafts from Puducherry for sale.

“I sold handicrafts worth Rs. 60,000 in Romania which I had taken from Puducherry. This included miniature animals, Lord Ganesha, terracotta jewels and pendants. I also made miniature elephants within 30 seconds and gave it to the children who visited the museum,” he said.

Six pieces of terracotta handicrafts of Mr. Munusamy would now find a place in the museum in Bucharest. “They liked the handicrafts because of its innovative features and uniqueness. They also appreciated our work,” he added.

The aim of the tour was to showcase Indian handicrafts. “There are chances to get export orders of handicrafts to Romania. It served as a platform to promote and exchange art,” he pointed out.

The artisan would receive the National Award from the Centre for his works in terracotta for 2006 this month in New Delhi.

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