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Colours of Andhra Pradesh

It's fun shopping at the ongoing Lepakashi sale. Choose from a range of pottery, fabrics, jewellery, artefacts and pickles too

PLEASING PRODUCTS A wide range of handicrafts Photo: Vipinchandran

It is the time for Kalamkari fabric, Pochampalli saris, Kondapalli toys at the Women's Association Hall. Indeed a time for the taste and feel of Andhra Pradesh at Lepakshi, the exhibition organised by the Andhra Pradesh Government.

Kalamakari fabrics, Pochampalli saris, Warangal durries, leather lampshades, Hyderabad pearls even the famed Andhra pickles these and some more are all there. Usually when exhibitions are a mish-mash of handicrafts from all over the country, like Purbasree at Lepakshi too the focus was Andhra Pradesh. However, there are some stalls from other States such as Rajasthan and West Bengal too. There are the usual Hyderabad pearl sets, strings of precious and semi-precious stones and silver jewellery.

Pickles to savour

As you enter the premises , you see G. S. Krishna from Guntur vending the hot and spicy Andhra pickles. The famed Gongura pickle (it is a kind of spinach akin to cheerai), bitter gourd, spicy red chilli pickle, brinjal, gooseberry, tomato, tangy tamarind and green chilli pickle besides the regular garlic, mango and lemon pickles are the to taste and buy. "These are homemade, and unlike branded ones that have lots of preservatives these have no preservatives. It is like just how you would make at home," says Krishna. These are priced at Rs. 35 for 250 grams. There is also the Andhra version of the dry chutney powder, which can be had not only with idlis and dosas but also with chapathis.

If you think that Andhra Pradesh is only about saris and fabrics, you need to do a re-think. Cotton and jute Warangal durries with geometric designs reminiscent of Aztec motifs and Kalamkari prints are there for you to choose from. Easy to maintain and washable these rugs are quite chic. Then there are the washable leather lampshades painted with natural dyes. Kalamakari bedsheets and bedcovers in unique prints and colour combinations are a bargain.

Though not from Andhra Pradesh, two stands from Rajasthan vending indigenous digestives and mouth-freshners such as imli-goli (sweetened tamarind pellets), hing goli (asafoetida pellets), sweetened dry and salted ginger, different kinds of saunf, and honeyed amla (gooseberry) among several others. There is costume jewellery of different kinds and in mediums such as terracotta, jute, beads, silken threads and even camel bone. It may sound morbid but jewellery made of camel bone is stylish and offbeat.

For those looking for terracotta pottery Lepakshi is a good place to shop.

The exhibition will be on till March 5.

SHILPA NAIR ANAND

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