Dastkari Haat Samiti brings forth a vibrant exhibition and crafts bazaar this festive season

EE News Desk Sep 30, 2019

This festive season, the capital with light up with more than just twinkling lights! Jaya Jaitly, President at Dastkari Haat Samiti is organizing a unique exhibition and crafts bazaar to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. The week long bazaar beginning on 1st October at IGNCA, Janpath, New Delhi. the 8 day long event is an ode to the Mahatma who revolutionalized the handloom and handicraft sector.

The exhibit will feature 90 artisans handpicked by the Samiti from remote parts of India including some hitherto unknown crafts persons who are largely unable to travel to Delhi, and others who have made a special effort to offer new items and designs in their art or craft forms. Among these are:
Bead work and Gudia Shilp from Jhabua, MP, wooden comb and paper machie bird, Ujjain, MP, Thread jewellery from Uttaranchal, Silver jewellery from Rajasthan, weaving, bandani and wood work from Gujarat, embroidery and block from Hardoi, UP, Kotpad Weaving, Orissa, Warli painting from Maharashtra, Godna painting, Bihar, paper crafts, TN, Paddy craft, Orissa.

A nurturer, supporter and innovator of handmade and handcrafted products and artisans Indian crafts, Gandhiji helped India’s economy and gave the craftspersons a platform to grow. This exhibition celebrates that movement.
At a time when fast fashion is at its peak, a show like this brings us back to “swades” and is unapologetic of its rejection of a lifestyle that is not sustainable.

The highlight of the event includes a special tribute by the craftspersons to Mahatma Gandhi where in 25 hand crafted images of him, each one made in a different textile craft styles such as handloom weaving, tie and dye work, shibori embroidery, batik, durry weaving, traditional art like Godhna, Gond, Patachitra, Miniature , Madhubani, Worli, kavad art and Terracotta combined with art will be at display. Crafts like wood carving and inlay, bamboo work, glass work, rice and thread work, Sanjhi paper cut work and Silver work will all be forms used to depict Mahatma Gandhi. This will be a unique exhibition at Twin Art Gallery.

Replete with traditional skills and integral to our nation’s cultural fabric, the handicraft products will include home decor, hand painted divas, trinkets, textiles and other rich essentials perfect for the festive season! To add and support the environment and the plastic ban, special cloth bags are being made for goods. This crafts bazaar will offer you the perfect mood to enjoy the slight nip in the air and appreciate everything g that is handmade and sustainable.

“Swades’ was a notion much supported and nurtured by Gandhiji. This laid the foundation for village industries and helped the artisans and crafts people to connect to the consumer. It is with that same zeal and effort that Dastkari Haat Samiti has handpicked craftspersons to help them come to the forefront.
Our bazaar honours the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi that specifically spoke of the rural crafts person and sustaining the environment. Apart from the bazaar we are proud to present an exhibition dedicated to craftspeople’s portraits of Gandhi ji in each one’s craft skill.Help make this special for us”, shares Ms Jaya Jaitly, founder at Dastkari Haat Samiti.

The kids’ friendly event will come alive with beautiful cultural performances by the Ramdev group, a group of six kutchi performers called Aradhi from Gujarat. There will be traditional food from Punjab and workshop and demonstrations for the spectators to connect to the craft closely. The crafts bazaar will be at the grounds surrounding the Mati Ghar at the central portion of the IGNCA grounds.