BHOPAL: A two-foot the Red Fort of made of Bamboo and dolls made of jute are drawing attention of visitors at Gauhar Mahal in the city.
They are part of exhibition-cum-sale Gandhi Shilp Bazaar 2020, organised by Madhya Pradesh Handloom and Handicraft Development Corporation, Bhopal and sponsored by commissioner, handicraft, textile, government of India to mark 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
The cost of the replica of the Red Fort with Indian tricolour is of Rs 6,000 and its weight is 4kg.
Artisan Tansingh Bamni from Govindpura, Bhopal told Free Press, “I never visited Red Fort in New Delhi. I made it after seeing photograph. It took one month to complete. We use bamboo sourced from Assam to make the Fort.”
Besides, Jute-made dolls including ‘Welcome Ladies,’ ‘Big Mem Sahibs’ and ‘Small Mem Sahibs,’ ‘Fairy’ from Kolkata are also one of the major attractions among visitors. The price range of the dolls starts from Rs 100 to Rs 250 per piece.
Artisan Rakesh Mondol from Mukundapur, Kolkata said, “We have been making it for many years. It takes one day to make big dolls while it takes five hour to make small dolls. We sold out all dolls playing musical instruments.”
“We alsohave jute-made items like bags, coin-pouchs, hats, key-rings, water bottle and tiffin box covers in the price ranges of Rs 30-350 are also display,” Mondol said.
Over 82 artisans from nine states including West Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Chhatisgrah, Karnatka , Delhi and Madhya Pradesh showcased their handloom and handicrafts products in exhibition.
A 49-year-old artisan Kavita Maurya from Hathras, Uttar Pradesh showcased hanging lamps and candle stands made of glass and idols made of brass in Meenakari design. Its price ranges from Rs 60 to Rs 2,200 a piece.
“It is our ancestral work. We have doing this since childhood. We brought glass from Firozabad to make lamps while we bought brass from scrap dealers.”
An artisan Vinod Kumar Rao from Mandsaur has displayed jwellery like earrings, bangles, rings, tops, Jhoomkas in Meenakari designs.
A pair of elephants made of emerald (Rs 45,000) and half and one-inch Shivlings, and conchshells made of mercury (Rs 60 per gm), Shree yantra, made of sphatik and pear-made garlands from Karnatka are also on display
A huge variety of planters in duck, cup, skelton, Lord Buddha and kitchen-ware items from Blue Art Potteries , Khurja, Uttar Pradesh and Jaipur, and wooden paintings, sandle-made Agarbatti, perfumes and face pack from Karnatka are also attracting visitors.
Besides handicrafts items, some woolens like shawl, jackets, suits, caps and caps from Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, suits in Gotta-Patti designs, Chanderi and Maheshwari Sari and Suits in Bagh print are also on display here.
The exhibition will remain open for visitors till February 8 from 1pm to 9pm.
