Bamboo rainmakers from The Nilgiris to paper mache dancing dolls from Thanjavur, the “Crafts of Tamil Nadu” expo at Poompuhar here has nearly 15 different handmade crafts on display.
R. Narendra Bose, manager of Poompuhar outlet here, says that eight artisans from different parts of the State are participating at the exhibition here. Poompuhar has provided space for them to display their products. The exhibition, which is on till June 28, is expected to see sales worth Rs. 5 lakh.
Poompuhar usually organises seasonal exhibitions and it was decided to organise “Crafts of Tamil Nadu” to create a platform for the artisans of the State, take their products to a wider market, and also to encourage the younger generation to continue the craft work, he says.
The focus in this event is on the different and some lesser-known artwork in the State.
Mirror frames made from sea shells (Rameshwaram and Kanyakumari), musical instruments such as wind flute and rainmaker (Toda tribes from The Nilgiris), purses and bags with the Toda embroidery, sungudi saris (Madurai), terra cotta jewellery, paper mache dolls, and brass lamps and statues from Nachiyar Kovil are some of the products on display.
“The cotton, hand-woven saris are eco friendly too as natural colours are used for printing,” says T.A. Sreenivasan, whose family is involved in hand weaving for more than 10 years.
The uniqueness of the brass products from Nachiyar Kovil is that these are made of copper and zinc and does not have other metals such as tin.
There are also some regional products that are becoming popular as they are environment friendly. For instance, bags and mats from out of organic banana fibre are made in Udumalpet.
“The main objective of this exhibition is to preserve the ancient crafts of Tamil Nadu and to safeguard them. It also aims to uplift the standard of living of the craftsmen by providing marketing assistance,” says Mr. Bose.
The exhibition is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
