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Season for crafts and colour
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Before summer catches up with us all, here's the season to revel in the colour and crafts of Madhya Pradesh, at an Utsav in the city.
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There's some magic in the air at Dakshinachitra. Bright welcoming arches, torans and tribal `mandalas' beckon; red and blue `gota' bordered `chchatris' sway in welcome, and over the bright foliage and woods of Dakshinachitra float strains of the beloved Buldelkhand folk tune Gokalbari Sanvariya, Le Ja Dwarka Nagariya...
Only the Mahua trees are missing and those endless roads of Madhya Pradesh taking one into the very heart of India to villages practising the age-old crafts of block printing, weaving gossamer thin sarees and crafting magical dhokhraware and iron work surrealistic sculpture...
Yes, it is the ` Madhya Pradesh Utsav' time for Chennai, a celebration of the states' vibrant craft and performing art rhythms its unique traditions finely honed through the centuries, representative of the best of ancient craft skills, yet mingling with newer more innovative objects in jute, leather, hand-made paper, `chiks' etc. Time to savour too, speciality `namkeens' and spicy `sev', and delectable molasses and `til', `gajjak' which melt in the mouth — perfect for Chennai's winter.
The rustic ambience of a Madhya Pradesh mela comes to Dakshinachitra in scores of thatched huts from which craftspersons do brisk trade. Dazzling tussars, delicately-woven silk and cotton chanderis and maheshwaris cast a spell.
There is a wealth of exquisite vegetable dyed Bagh block prints on sarees yardage, duppattas, table and bed linen.
The `Pichchwai' painting tradition of the region catches the eye both as original wall hangings and in its newer concept of miniature art beautifully executed and delineated.
Finely crafted dhokhraware objects are a great favourite at the mela. Intricate
Jaali work distinguishes the dhokraware boxes, lamps and tiny animal forms. The sculpted iron-work silhouettes are a tribute to ancient tribal craft skills.
Also compelling are tribal `mukhotas' or wooden masks of Ganesh, Durga and other gods.
Beadwork and zari bags from Bhopal, vegetable dyed lacquerware toys, softstone artefacts, and the imaginatively crafted stuffed leather toys from Gwalior makes ideal gifts.
For the ecologically conscious, attractive jute hammocks, jhoolas and bags make definitive statements. Equally eco-friendly are the hand-woven jute, cane and cotton `chiks' in ethereal jaali work, a perfect complement to a hot summer. So, before summer catches up with us all, here is the season to revel in the colour and crafts of Madhya Pradesh. And don't miss the rainbow-hued lac bangles.
The `Madhya Pradesh Utsav', organised by Mrignayanee and the MP Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation, has been sponsored by the Development Commissioner of Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
The utsav will be on till January 28 at Dakshinachitra, Muttukadu, East Coast Road.
PUSHPA CHARI
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