The month-long handicrafts and handloom exhibition-cum-sale that began at the Poompuhar sales show room of the Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation at Singarathope here on Friday evoked good response as large number of people have started showing interest in purchasing the exquisite handicrafts and handloom items.
Collector T. Soundiah inaugurated the exhibition on Friday organised in connection with the ensuing Christmas and New Year festivals till January 1 next year. The Collector said that nearly Rs.50 lakh worth handicrafts and handloom items were kept on display for sale and a sales target of Rs.10 lakh had been fixed for this exhibition. Last year, about Rs.30 lakh worth of handicrafts items were displayed in the exhibition fetching a total sale of Rs.eight lakh, he said.
K.Chidambaranathan, Manager of Poompuhar sales show room, Tiruchi, told The Hindu on Sunday that the exhibition would be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on all the days including Sundays.
He said that the exhibition had been organised to encourage the artisans to market their handcrafts through this exhibition.
The price of the handicrafts displayed in the exhibition ranges from Rs.10 to Rs.38,000, he said.
Panchaloha idols of Lord Nataraja, Lord Ganapathy and other deities made by Poompuhar icon production centre at Swamimalai, Thanjavur art plates, brass lamps made at Nachiarkovil, Madurai and Vagaikulam, granite images of Mamallapuram, intricately carved sandalwood handicrafts items from Kallakurichi and Sungudi and other handloom sarees made in Tamil Nadu have been exhibited, he said.
Besides, several handicrafts and handloom items including wood and metal carvings from Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh were kept in plenty in the exhibition. The Moradabad brass plates and ornamental lamps, Jaipur precious stones, etc attracted the buyers.
