Haryana NGO comes to the aid of rural artisans

City fashionistas who wish to go pandal-hopping in perfect Chanderi saris or those looking for mojari jootis to go with their kurtis and jeans can travel to New India Art and Craft Festival at G-Town at Jamshedpur for a one-stop answer to shopping blues.

Chanderi saris from Madhya Pradesh, Chania choli from Rajasthan, Bhagalpuri silk of Bihar, to the embroidered bedsheets and mojari shoes of Uttar Pradesh, there is a little bit of everything on offer at the fair. The fair was organised by Hast Shilpa Utthan Seva Sansthan, a Panipat-based NGO from Haryana, aims to support artisans. The organisation markets
the products around the country and help rural artisans earn a decent living.

At the fair Uttar Pradesh was featured prominently, as it had six kiosks and proved to be a major crowdpuller. Kiosk owners were seen making a brisk business of handmade furniture from Saharanpur, carpets from Allahabad, beaded dress material from Rampur and saris from Varanasi. Brass products from Moradabad were also proving to be a popular draw at the fair.

Many visitors were seen making their way to get washable blankets from Rajasthan and wooden handicrafts from Karnataka at the 10-day fair. Some exclusive pieces that deserve a special mention are the antique telephone stands.

“People are drawn towards rural handicraft for their designs and simplicity and we believe that the market for such products would grow further. This year, we have increased the number of kiosks,” said Deepak Tomar, one of the fair organisers. For those who cannot make it to Kashmir but long for the state’s exquisitely embroidered shawls, Zahoor Hassan with his stock of drapes was an answer. “People here are fond of Kashmiri shawls. Last year, we had a good sale and I expect nothing less this year. Initially customers were hesitant to pay so much for a shawl but now they do not
mind shelling out the money as they understand the work that goes behind them,” said Zahoor, an artisan from Srinagar.

Asha Agarwal, a resident of Bistupur, said: “I am a re-gular visitor to this fair, as I get to see all sorts of crafts under one roof. The products are unique.” The fair would conclude on September 15.
(Source: The Telegraph, Sept 8, 2008)