CRAFT TRADITIONS

SURAJKUND INTERNATIONAL CRAFTS MELA 2016:

In the dull monochrome winters of DELHI where colours such as grey, white, black and blue dominate…every year the Surajkund Crafts Mela from Feb 1-15 comes as a harbinger for spring and teases us with the vibrancy of our craft and tradition rich India!

The rustic feel with mud walks…elevation of hills…traditional mouth watering delicacies and street food from each state set the stage beautifully to showcase the craft traditions of India which are largely indexed in the rural hinterlands of the country.

Indian Heritage at display:

Skill rich in the art of weaving, dying, printing and value addition the stalls here dominate rich textile base of India with pashminas from J&K, Ikats (resist dyed fabrics) from Andhra-Gujarat-Odisha, Kota from Rajasthan, Brocades from Banaras, Phulkari clad textiles of Punjab, Eri/Kosa/Bhagalpur Silks from West Bengal and Bihar. The Colors, textures, weaves and prints leaves one awestruck.

A great initiate each year to give an ode to craftsmen who toils endlessly behind the looms and give us such rich and beautifully crafted heritage which the world looks at as prized possessions.

CraftsofIndia, crafts, handlooms, handicrafts, textiles, india, makeinindia, craftsmen

Some tweaks to realise the full potential of

#MakeInIndia #MadefortheWorld through such initiatives:

  • Distribution of Mela stalls- to suit the needs of scores of visitors (segmentation on basis of commercial | non-commercial audience) attending the craft confluence.
  • Creation and distribution of a fair guide – sharing product features and highlights of each artisan and his work. This may help commercial | non-commercial | serious art & craft lovers to select their respective areas of interest and develop a rich/ perspective-high dialogue with the artisans and help translate to meaningful conversions with effective utilisation of time at both ends.
  • Amalgamation of artisans- at such fairs need to be with clearly thought out end in mind. Such initiatives which now have an International status are India’s window to the world and see many tourists planning their visits keeping in mind events like these which showcase the country’s skill and products at one platform. Thus, its prime to showcase our rural skills with focus on new product innovations, futuristic designs, fashion forward approach and limiting the products which have been showcased for years. (Maybe put the pre showcased | high selling products in the commercial stalls)
  • Showcase of New Products-
    Students from various design / fashion colleges of India can be engaged to volunteer with craftsmen / artisans to work on each stall display. This will impact the visual appeal of the products and enhance the details on which a crafts man may have toiled for hours or maybe days.

“Design is intelligence made visible”

India with its diverse skills and product basket has always been an apple of the foreign buyers’ eye…its time we take it to the next level to enhance India’s Style Quotient!

 

 

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