From muga and eri (types of silks from Assam) to phanek (the traditional Manipuri dress for women), the DLF Place in Saket was abound with textiles from across the Northeast during the “Celebrating North East” festival on Sunday.
Many stall owners have been participating in festivals and exhibitions across the Capital since the beginning of December.
Paromita Baruah, who participates in State festivals, exhibitions and events like despite having boutiques in Guwahati, said this is just another way for her to expand her market.
Young entrepreneurs
Some artisans are already based in the Capital and are using the festival to reach out to a larger crowd. Ahan Sasa, who shifted to the city from Manipur almost 15 years ago, runs a studio here. However, she still continues participate in festivals in the hope of gaining new customers.
Young entrepreneurs from the region see such festivals as launch pad to establish themselves and simultaneously widen their client base. Within six months of its creation, the Blue Caterpillar is already looking to venture into the e-commerce arena due to the popularity it has gained at various events like this one.
Besides these stalls, the event also showcased the works of some of the region’s most illustrious designers. Arita Kashyap, a designer from Assam, said she hoped the festival helps create a market for weavers of the Northeast. She said: “I hope we have managed to create a gateway to the Northeast here in Delhi.”
This is the third year that this two-day festival is being organised by the Northeast Institute of Fashion Technology at the venue. Event director Vikram Rai Medhi said such an event was necessary in order to clear misconceptions about the region.
“People generally know the Northeast as disturbed and conflict-ridden area. However, there is so much more to it than that. The festival was started as a way to showcase the vividness and variety in culture of the region.”
( The writer is an intern with The Hindu )
