Date:01/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/01/stories/2008120151210200.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Pick your choice at crafts bazaar

Special Correspondent

The exhibition to continue up to December 9

Leather puppet art from Dharmavaram on display at the ongoing exhibition- cum-sale of handicrafts and handlooms organised by Lepakshi at PWD Grounds in Vijayawada.

VIJAYAWADA: The Lepakshi crafts bazaar, an ongoing exhibition and sale of handicrafts and handlooms organised by the A.P. Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited at Swaraj Maidan, is a veritable treat to art lovers with its wide range of products. The exhibition, which was inaugurated on November 28, will remain open every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. till December 9.

As one walks into the spacious exhibition with a number of stalls, one is greeted by an exquisite range of products that tempts one to buy. One could see very few visitors returning from the exhibition without buying even a small art piece.

Handicrafts of not just Andhra Pradesh, but from other States like Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Haryana, Maharashtra, Bihar, Kerala, Delhi, Gujarat and Orissa too entice visitors with their novelty and fine workmanship. It will also be a rare opportunity to see artisans working on their products in the stalls.

The range of products brought by the artisans from various parts of the State is wide enough to offer a lot of choice to the patrons. One can perhaps begin with the stall that is nearest to the entrance and which displays the products from our very neighbourhood – Kondapalli toys, and then move on to the stalls exhibiting Etikoppaka toys from Visakhapatnam district; crochet lace from West Godavari district; pearls, metal castings and Banjara hand embroidery from Hyderabad; cotton durries from Warangal district; Kalamkari from Krishna district; Mangalagiri fabrics from Guntur district; Pochampalli fabrics from Nalgonda district; Venkatagiri sarees from Nellore district; Gadwal sarees and Narayanpet sarees from Mahabubnagar district; Siddipet sarees from Medak district; and Chirala fabrics from Prakasam district.

The art work called leather puppetry by artisans from Dharmavaram in Anantapur district is eye-catching, and one would be surprised to know that the images of gods and other mythical characters from the Indian belief system are drawn in rich colours only on goat skin, a tradition continued till today by a community of about 500 people. The prices of these paintings begin at Rs.400 and go up depending on the size and the frame.