Designed in tune with the present trend and fashion, sarees, dress material and other articles by the artisans from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu catch the eye of visitors at the Lepakshi Handlooms and Handicrafts Exhibition at the TTD Kalyana Mandapam in the city.
If cotton dress material or a few readymade tops from Narayanavanam in Chittoor, Uppada sarees, Mangalagiri cotton and Pedana / Madanapalli kalamkari soft cotton sarees or dress material look attractive, Bhagalpur pen-art sarees or those of Narayanpet/Pochampally force visitors to stop for a while to make a comparison.
Wood carving artefacts from Chittoor, terracotta showpieces being colourfully painted under the portico of the exhibition hall draw attention of visitors. If you are a numismatist or an amateur stamp/coin collector, hundreds of rare ones are there to add to your private collection. Rosewood carvings from Palamaner at the entrance of the TTD Hall look stunning with intricate designs.
A.P. Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited Manager R. Satyanarayana told The Hindu that 56 stalls were rented to artisans from various places in the country to exhibit their wares and many had to be sent back due to lack of space.
“This is the first time an exhibition of this scale is being organised in Anantapur and the response is very encouraging to plan for a larger gathering of weavers and artisans in an open ground during the festive season,” Mr. Satyanarayana said.
A young entrepreneur from Visakhapatnam displays a variety of gold-coated hand-made ornaments, chains of beads and other wares, which are selling like hot-cakes as women pick up something that matches the latest collection of saree/dress material.
