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Crafts from all over
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At Swadesh, enjoy different cuisines even as you shop for ethnic clothes and accessories
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ETHNIC ALL THE WAY At Swadesh
If you are passionate about Indian crafts, then here is another place to shop. Swadesh on the East Coast Road, will showcase cuisines, art, craft and other traditions of India. "It is about art, craft, entertainment and food," said Anthony Michael, general manager (Marketing), Savera Hotels.
Situated behind the Malgudi restaurant, the entrance to Swadesh is through a narrow passage to the right of the restaurant.
The passage has a well with a bandhani cloth around it and a blue bullock cart with gilt cushions spilling out. To the right, over a swimming pool is a bridge that leads you to the Aum store, the only store run by Swadesh.
Focus on food
With its focus on food, Swadesh is built around an open-air restaurant. Two stalls to the left of the restaurant will provide free space to new artists to display their work.
At the inaugural function, there were paintings, sketches and clay and stone sculptures in the first one and lamps made of aloe vera fibre and cradles made of bamboo in the second.
Further into Swadesh, 22-year-old Rajbeer and his 12-year-old brother Sri Kishan perform tightrope walking. There's also a stage with a screen to its left. At the inaugural, clips of old Hindi and Tamil songs were shown while some singers crooned old melodies.
Four thatched huts to the right of the restaurant will be rented out to different stores and artisans from all over the country. The huts are named after the four directions, but the crafts displayed in each need not be from that part of India. For example, Anaaya from Goa has a range of handmade clothes from Delhi, embellished by artisans from Bihar and displayed at Dakshin.
The dresses are priced between Rs. 600 and Rs. 2,500 and bags between Rs. 1,400 and Rs. 3,500.
Wide variety
Aum will stock samples of the range displayed at the four huts. Currently, on display are terracotta jewellery and clothes from Kolkata, pottery from Pondicherry, frames and paintings from Jaipur, antiques collected from ships, branded T-shirts, Mexican straw hats and silver jewellery.
The eateries in Swadesh include Chai Ghar where you can have a cup of tea or coffee with a variety of bajjis, Khatta-Meeta Chat Corner with pav bhaji, lassi and flavoured dahi, Delhi Dhaba where you can savour Punjabi dishes, Grama Bhojanam, Jhill-Ice-cream corner and Goli Soda Company which offers kulfis and flavoured goli soda.
And for some entertainment, you can watch boys walking on around 10-ft high stilts or get to know your future from fortune-tellers or enjoy folk dances such as Karagattam and Mayilattam.
ASHA S. MENON
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