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Crafted with care
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The Lepakshi exhibition-cum-sale organised by the Andhra Pradesh Handicrafts Development Corporation has stunning variety
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Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy
Nod away The Kondapalli dolls make their colourful presence felt
The weekend visit to an exhibition of handicrafts and handlooms in town is always a family affair.
And since childhood, when you were dragged by your mother and aunts, the familiarity of the whiff of linen and fingers feeling a khadi Kalamkari sari or crochet lace jacket has always been the highlight of the yearly excursion.
So, at the Lepakshi exhibition-cum-sale organised by the Andhra Pradesh Handicrafts Development Corporation, families were out full force shopping in a frenzy for handicrafts brought by craftsmen, artisans and weavers from Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
It is no doubt a commendable effort of the AP Government to showcase products from other states other than the home, but in doing so, the exclusivity of the exhibition is lost.
So what was earlier a state representative exhibition that would promote products from all nooks and corners of Andhra Pradesh, this time around did not have the variety or quality.
So, what you had from AP were Hyderabadi pearl earrings and beads and kundan jewellery sets in plenty, Pochampalli Ikat, Gadwal, Narayanapet, Mangalgiri, Venkatagiri and Hyderabad printed saris and tie and dye linen.
From other states, crisp cotton Kantha saris from West Bengal, cotton black, white and red Maheshwari block print saris from Madhya Pradesh, chikan salwar-sets from Uttar Pradesh and tussar-like Kosa saris from Chattisgarh were worth a dekko.
Even the Rajasthani kundan, mirror-work bangles are worth buying to add on to your junk jewellery collection.
The handloom cotton and jute dhurries in Kalamkari from Warangal as always, were an eye-catcher – and definitely worth buying.
The Madhubani paintings from Bihar – both framed and unframed are again, though usual and easily available one of the few products on display that you might want to purchase.
The variety of junk metalware and terracotta from West Bengal and Rajasthani skirts and tops did not bring out the colours and artisan skills of the states – for they are found everywhere and for the same price.
The pottery from Rishi Valley, AP added more value to the exhibition, so did the wooden toy-sets from Karnataka.
Make sure you check the quality of what you buy, so that when you go home to spread those lovely sky-blue bedcovers, two holes don’t loom large at you. There is a ten per cent discount on handicrafts and 20 per cent off on handlooms.
The Lepakshi exhibition-cum-sale is on till August 6 between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. on all days and is at Sri Bhavani Kalyana Mantapa, East Anjaneya Temple Road, Basavangudi.
Log onto to www.lepakshihandicrafts.gov.in to buy online.
AYESHA MATTHAN
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