The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Navadaniya idols are a hit

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 30, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Navadaniya idols are a hit

Staff Reporter

Artisans from across the country exhibit wares

CROWD PULLERS: Puppeteers from Rajasthan perform at the fair. — Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

CHENNAI: A women's self-help group in Kattur in Tiruchi district has come up with navadaniya idols. They are fast moving items, explains the sales assistant at the artisan's fair inaugurated on Thursday at corporation community hall in Alwarpet.

The grains are broken in halves, mixed with a binder and moulded into shapes such as Shiva, Lingam, Ganesha and Vishnu. The prices range from Rs. 30 to Rs. 60 apiece, which is marketed as an ideal present at housewarming ceremonies.

Artisans from across the country are participating in the 18-day fair organised by Kapoor Collection. Virudhunagar artisans are skilled in carving potholders and screens from the Vengai tree. Another artisan group from the same town specialises in ceramic dolls and lamp holders. A self-help group in Kasimedu in Chennai makes gel candles in wineglass holders.

Visiting artisans from Kolkata, Rajasthan, Bihar, Orissa and Gujarat have exhibited a variety of life-like clay models hunched at work, wooden puppets, Madhubani paintings, garments and Minakari items.

For the jewellery connoisseur there is a range to choose from: rainbow gem necklace priced at Rs. 37,000, silver (92.8%) ear danglers with inlay work, garnet and strings of semi-precious stones at affordable prices.

Quite a few of the artisans, who have exhibited their work, are State-and national-level award winners. They will also demonstrate their art. Madhubani painting exponent and Padmashri awardee Sita Devi's daughter has also exhibited her work. Sahil Anwar, who learnt the art from his father, won the national award on January 1, 2005 for bangle designing. S. Shridhar learnt to carve on sandal, rose and teak from his father Subramani Achari of Mysore. Three generations of his family have been in the business. The exhibition is on from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. including Sunday till January 15.

A 10 per cent discount is offered on handicrafts items and 20 per cent on handloom items.

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