Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

A teapot from Khurja, and more...

A sense of colour, gaiety and mind boggling variety marks the fair

PHOTOS: S. SIVA SARAVANAN

COLOURS OF INDIA At the Sahara fair

A large, leafy tree and Ganesha reclines in elegant abandon under it. An inscrutable Buddha keeps him company, as Lakshmi, Saraswati, Vishnu and a pantheon of gods take up space on various branches and look down benignly.

They have come all the way from Tirupati, are made of neem wood and are beautifully carved.

The Sahara Handicrafts and Handloom Association has brought them among others to grace the exhibition grounds on Dr Nanjappa Road.

Leaving the leafy shade, one enters the covered exhibition to be immediately assaulted by a burst of colours and bustle as bolts of cloth are stacked up, bangles arranged on stands, saris draped gracefully and bedspreads and bed sheets flung out so that they are shown to their best advantage.

As one strolls down the alleys, one realises the wealth of handicrafts our country can boast of.

And what variety! If it is Lucknowi chikan work from UP, then there is Rajasthan resplendent with its lac bangles and block prints.

Soft mulmul in myriad floral prints gaily beam at you, as do the `ethnic' block prints in more sombre shades of indigo and maroon.

Colourful feet

One can mix, match and what's more, even find slippers to complete the ensemble.

There are stalls that have row upon row of slippers in every conceivable shade and style, for just Rs. 100 a pair.

But coming back to traditional handicrafts, as you gaze at the silver jewellery, you wonder what eye or hand could have crafted the beautiful filigree work on bangles, earrings, brooches and pendants.

It is like lacework in silver. This comes all the way from Orissa, where the textiles are beautiful too.

All hand-woven, vegetable dyed and in colours and motifs that are a hard act to follow.

Mustards, amethyst, sandalwood, crimson, emerald green... the saris range right up to Rs. 10,000. The pride of the Oriya weaver is his Bomkai Ikkat sari that takes nearly two months to complete. And if you buy one of these Orissa saris, you know what the perfect accessory would be for it? A pair of bangles handcrafted out of mother-of-pearl with earrings to match, also from Orissa. Neighbouring State, West Bengal, is also well represented with their tangails and kaanthas and some interestingly hand-painted dhanekaali saris.

For men too

If the description so far has been loaded in favour of the women folk, there are khadi kurtas and some cool looking khadi shirts for the men. They all range upward of Rs. 150. There is footwear too for the men.

And if pickles interest them as well, there are some 27 different kinds of pickles in mango, green chilly, gooseberry, lemon, dates, etc. They sell at Rs. 130 a kilo and you can sample them before you buy them.

Wait, there is more. For the pickles you have just bought there is a delightful array of pottery, all the way from Khurja, near Meerut. Pickle jars, bowls just perfect for setting curds, salad dishes and serving trays come in a kaleidoscope of colours and prints.

Jolly looking teapots with mugs in cheery patterns could really enliven your kitchen. And they are so reasonably priced that you won't even want to bargain.

If you are pleasantly tired and the prospect of going home and cooking is daunting, all you need to do is make a stop at the chat stalls that have come all the way from Rajasthan, for some genuine north Indian snacks.

The exhibition is open from 10.30 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. and is on till June 19 (Monday). Entry and parking is free and all credit cards are accepted.

PANKAJA SRINIVASAN

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