A celebratory atmosphere prevailed at Namma Angadi, a three-day exhibition and sale of handicrafts, handloom and eco-friendly products, which began at the School of Communication (SOC) here on Friday.
The exhibition displayed some of the best artisanship and craftsmanship from rural coastal Karnataka. The items were displayed in the open air auditorium and five classrooms of the SOC.
Items such as lamps, incense stands, masks and vases made of terracotta, and earthen pots, bell metal products, clay jewellery, stone soap trays and decorative items made of eco-friendly material were on display.
Cotton garments for men, women and children, palm jaggery, pure wild honey, baskets and trays made out of bamboo, lavancha products, kokum nectar squash, hot sweet lemon pickle, hot sweet citron pickle were on sale.
A large number of people not just from Udupi and Manipal but also elsewhere visited the exhibition on the very first day. Some were visiting the exhibition for the first time, while others have been regular visitors.
Vidya, a homemaker from Parkala, said that she was impressed by the items on display. “I am visiting this exhibition for the first time. I like it very much. I feel tempted to buy many products,” she said.
Suchitra Acharya, another homemaker from Basrur, who too was visiting the event for the first time, said that she was impressed by the clay pots and some terracotta items. “The handicrafts products are beautiful. There are some items here which I have not seen anywhere,” she said.
A retired bank employee Raghuveera said that though this was his first visit to the exhibition here, he was astonished by the sheer range — be it handicrafts or others. “Such exhibitions will go a long way in not only protecting handicrafts but also in providing a market for them. It is for a good cause,” he said. Students of SOC, who are organising the event in association with the Concerned for Working Children, were putting in their efforts to make the visitors comfortable and gently nudging them to purchase the products.
Shivananda Shetty, Assistant Director of Concerned for Working Children, said that the new products on display this time included a wooden laptop holder, a laundry box and a paper stand.
Earlier, Lena Ashok, Coordinator, MSW programme, Department of Public Health, inaugurated the exhibition. Damodar Acharya, Executive Director, Concerned for Working Children, and Nandini Lakshmikantha, Director, SOC, were present.
