The rare mythological drama ‘Vamana Natakam’ printed in 1912; the Madras city edition of Andhra Prabha daily published on August 17, 1947; collection of water from various rivers across the world; a decade-old nine-and-a-half-inch-long ink pen — and the list goes on.
Adding flavour to the vacation season and drawing 12 different hobbies to one platform, the local chapter of the Youth Hostels Association of India (YHAI) hosted a one-day hobby exhibition at the Youth Hostel building here on Sunday.
From old dramas of Rangasai Nataka Grandhalayam to ancient coins and a collage of paintings, the venue, which was instrumental in understanding the effective impact of pursuing a hobby, had it all.
In one corner of the hall, Shanmukha Madhav, a Class VII student, was busy completing his clay mould within five minutes.
While numismatist D. Satyabuddu displayed a total of 910 coins from 170 countries, including a set of attractively shielded six gold-plated coins from Somalia, his daughters — D. Satyaharini and D. Satyapravaeena — showcased women on the coins and plastic currency notes. With a bunch of snakes in various sizes hissing in closed glass cases, the city’s popular snake-catcher Rokkam Kiran Kumar was seen explaining his favourite hobby to the visitors.
While most of the participants said the avenue helped them learn from each other, women artists, who were part of the fair, shared their beautiful experiences.
“When you play with colours, it absorbs your emotions. Painting refreshes your thought process instantly,” Y. Aparna, one of the artists, said.
For an engineering student K. Sharada, who displayed portraits and other sketches at the show, painting helped her discover herself. “The art enhances my visual imagination, relieves my stress, and makes me more focused,” she said.
Combined exhibition such as this broadens one’s exposure, Visakhapatnam district unit secretary of YHAI N. Nageswara Rao said.
“Solo exhibitions limit your awareness level. When people from different walks of life come together, there is always better scope for exchanging ideas and improvement. Artists end up sharing inputs and tips, and this helps them strengthen their interest further,” he added.
