Kochi is ready to shop this Christmas season with trade and craft fairs opening in various parts of the city. The fairs are also attracting many visitors, with families heading out for shopping with schools shut for Christmas holidays.
The Kudumbasree Mission has organised an exhibition near Marine Drive, featuring stalls set up by Kudumbasree units from around the district and outside. Handcrafted terracotta jewellery, bags, handicrafts, beauty and bath products, fried chips and other snacks, pickles, and processed foods are on sale at the exhibition. The show even features a stall by a Kudumbasree unit from Kizhakkambalam panchayat selling framed watercolour paintings of artist Sinoj.
“We have been operating for six years. The fairs held during Christmas season are a good opportunity for us to make profit. We get hundreds of customers for our squashes and pickles here,” said Molly, a member of Kudumbasree from Choornikkara.
The star of the show, however, were the stalls featuring unique food items from different parts of the State. Payasam made from bamboo rice, biryanis steamed in banana leaf wrappings, snacks from Malabar, were all scooped up by visitors. Saplings, seeds, and gardening equipment were also on display at the exhibition that will be on till December 29.
A trade fair of village products, organised by the District Supply and Marketing Society, is under way at the District Collectorate at Kakkanad.
The fair will be on till December 24. It features products manufactured and procured by Kudumbasree activists, Gandhigram Society.
The products on offer range from pickles to cakes, clothes to copper equipment and traditional food items.
Unique craft items are also on display at the North East Crafts Bazar at Gangotri Hall. The exhibition also has furniture, furnishings, artificial flowers, bags, jewellery, kitchen utensils, and handloom products.