Twenty stalls have been wooing shoppers with an array of handicrafts, clothing, jewellery, and furniture as part of Gujarat Mela 2015, being held in Thillai Nagar’s SRT Hall since the beginning of the New Year.
Among the eye-catching displays are handmade Channapatna toys painted with vegetable dyes. Tracing its roots to the reign of Tipu Sultan, who invited artisans from Persia to train local workers in making the wooden toys, today it is a craft that receives patronage from the Karnataka government.
“Each toy is assembled and painted by hand,” salesman Karuppaiah told The Hindu . “We have brought 30 varieties this year, and because they don’t need batteries to run, and are not made of plastic, they are safe for small children.” An unusual toy in this range is the ‘magic top’ which overturns itself and spins on its own, priced at Rs. 30. Numerous acupressure implements made of karuvelam (prosopis juliflora) wood from Kallakurichi are a part of the stall’s stock.
Bed linens from Rajasthan come in a variety of price ranges, starting from Rs. 150. “Even though Tamil Nadu has its own bed sheet industry, our stuff is different,” said Chandan Kumar. “We offer embroidered sheets, and also print motifs unique to Jaipur.” Special cotton saris combine the weaving traditions of Hyderabad and Gujarat at one stall. “Our most special item is this sari which is woven first with a cotton net jacquard in Ahmedabad, and then block-printed by hand in Hyderabad,” said Tinku Kumar, a salesman and a weaver. “Our other popular item is Hyderabadi cotton saris, which start at Rs. 350.”
Jute is the chief material used at the West Bengal handicraft stall, where buyers can spot not only handbags and lunch packs, but also elegant footwear made with the plant fibre. Business has been a little sluggish, said most of the exhibitors at the expo, which is on until January 20.
