The Hyderabad-based Kakatiya Artisans Welfare Association has set up a massive Crafts Bazaar at the Mahima Gardens (behind Hotel Nagarjuna) with about 150 artisans from all over India taking part in it by exhibiting their unique products.
The exhibition will be formally inaugurated by Mayor Rayapati Mohan Saikrishna on Friday evening and with examination season coming to an end the organisers expect a massive crowd at the exhibition that would be open till April 4. The Association project officer A. Sivaramakrishna and secretary Md. Shareefuddin at a press conference said that exhibits were from 18 states along with 30 per cent of stalls taken by artisans from different districts of Andhra Pradesh.
The Association had taken up promoting Zari, Zardoi and Hand Embroidery at Vikarabad in Ranga Reddy and Medak districts. For the current exhibition the Ministry of Textiles was funding the organising expenses and stalls were being given free-of-cost so that the artisans could sell ware at competitive prices. About 500 invitations were sent to various societies in the country of them more than 100 had already set up their stalls by Thursday.
Artisans' Welfare Association was concentrating on exposing the traditional art forms to the people of Guntur for the second time, said Mr. Krishna. Exhibition will remain open on all 10 days from from 10 a.m. till 9 p.m. including Sundays and major attractions will be from Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Lucknow, Karnataka and different textiles and craft items from Andhra Pradesh.