The Hindu : Kerala News : Stage set for mega Malabar Craft Mela

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 15, 2007
ePaper

Kerala

Kerala

Stage set for mega Malabar Craft Mela

Kottakunnu, the table-top tourist spot of Malappuram town, is all set for a mega shopping and entertainment festival. Minister for Tourism Kodiyeri Balakrishnan will open the two-week Malabar Craft Mela on Sunday afternoon. Minister for Local Administration Paloli Mohammed Kutty will preside over the function.

Jointly organised by the Departments of Tourism and Commerce and Industry, the mela will provide a platform for live demonstration of handloom and handicrafts making from across the country. “This will be the biggest attraction of the mela,” said District Collector Sumana N. Menon here on Friday.

The demonstration will take place in 20 hut-like structures specially constructed for it. Artisans from Kerala will compete with their counterparts from Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to showcase their wares. The mela will feature a variety of craft in clay, bamboo, wood, leather and other materials. There will be 108 stalls to display industrial products, said M. Abdul Majeed, general manager of the District Industries Centre. The stalls are being set up under three large dome-shaped pavilions.

As many as 83 small and micro industrial units will participate in the mela, said Mr. Majeed. Among the participants are Hantex, Khadi and Village Industries Board, Surabhi, Kairali, and Subhiksha. Akshaya will set up a stall to introduce the visitors to a large number of facilities offered by the project. Akshaya stall will also provide broadband Internet facility.

As many as 10 stalls will feature in a food festival to be held as part of the mela. There will be musical and variety entertainment programmes on all evenings. On the inaugural day, Mapilapattu artiste V.M. Kutty and troupe will lead an Ishal evening. The mela will be open from 3 pm to 9 pm. KSRTC will ply special services to Manjeri, Kottakkal and Vengara after 9 p.m. Entry to the mela will be free. It will continue till December 30.

Abdul Lateef Naha

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala