The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Bamboo ware from the Northeast

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Friday, May 20, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Bamboo ware from the Northeast

Staff Reporter

Wares from the Seven Sisters on display at Alwarpet till May 29

WIDE RANGE: Artefacts at the Crafts Festival in Alwarpet in Chennai on Wednesday.

CHENNAI: Are you looking for something different to decorate your house this summer? The Northeast Crafts Festival might be a worthwhile place to look, with its wide range of bamboo handicrafts, wooden artefacts, Manipuri dolls and Naga dried flowers.

Organised at Sri Sankara Hall, TTK Road, Alwarpet, the fair features handlooms and handicrafts from seven Northeastern States, including Tripura and Assam. This year's expo also features artisans from other States, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh.

Inaugurated by P. Sundaramurthi, regional director, office of the development commissioner (handicrafts), the expo has about 40 stalls that showcase several varieties of traditional wares, from Assam "Munga" and silk sarees, Tripura silk sarees to Naga shawls. The chikan embroidered cotton sarees would be the best choice to beat the Chennai's heat.

Besides, Bengal cotton sarees, Jaipur hand-block printed kurtas, a wide range of Punjabi fulkari handlooms and Rajasthani sarees are also on display.

Reflects ethnicity

The intricately designed collection of bamboo and cane furniture from Manipur and Assam is expected to attract handloom lovers. While a chair made of water straw costs Rs. 180, the intricately designed ones are priced till Rs. 15,000. Be it Assamese jute items or Kouna cushions, every artefact reflects the States' ethnicity.

Apart from cane and bamboo baskets from Tripura, woven cane trays in different sizes and ring flower vases adorned with artificial plants are this year's attractions.

The fair, open between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., was organised by the Chennai branch of Purbashree Emporium that falls under the North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation.

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