A slice of Karnataka

A slice of Karnataka
Deccan Herald

Two art and crafts exhibitions displaying the rich cultural heritage of Karnataka are on in Basavanagudi and Jayanagar.

Organised by the Karnataka Handicrafts Artisans Welfare Association, the Karnataka Handicrafts Exhibition delves into some of the State’s finest cultural aspects.

“This exhibition is aimed at getting artisans to directly market their products to the final consumers,” explains Hema Sheker, president of the Karnataka Artisans Welfare Association. Sponsored by The Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, this exhibition showcases the rich cultural heritage of Karnataka.

What makes this exhibition different is that you can actually see a live demonstration by the artistes themselves. So you have demonstration of making the famed Kinhal toys, Channapatana lacquerware work, inlay woodwork as well as Kasuti work. In fact, these artistes have thought of interesting innovations on these products. For instance, traditionally the lacquerware work was made using oil paints. Now the paint is made from vegetable juice extracts.

Coming to the products on display, you have the famous wood inlay work wall frames ranging from Rs 50 to Rs 35,000. These are made at Mysore and are mainly of various gods and goddesses. You also have antique artifacts made from neem wood.

This apart, you can find stalls displaying crochet work, leather lampshades, pearl jewellery, lavancha products and terracotta products. Special mention needs to be made of N Venkoba Rao who makes musical instruments including sitar and veena. Rao also has a walking stick violin. The sitars made from teak wood cost Rs 40,000. But there are also those made from plywood, which will cost you just under Rs 2000. His specialty is the Gandaberunda sitar that is the symbol of the Mysore palace.

You can also find some exotic Mysore paintings with real gold foil on display costing anywhere from Rs 500 to Rs 10,000. The artist who has painted these is Shashikala Bhise who also has on display Ganifa paintings. “These are made on leather and were used as playing cards by kings,” she explains. You also have sandalwood articles and hand-made paper articles displayed. In terms of fabrics there are Ilkal, kolar and batik among others available. The exhibition is on till January 7 at Bhavasar Bhavan, DBBK Kalyana Mantapa, 7, Gandhi Bazaar, Opposite Canara Bank, Basavanagudi, between 10.30 am and 9.30 pm.

Craft fusion

A large Ganesha flanked by two large elephants greets you to this exhibition. Cauvery is a name that is synonymous with Karnataka’s handicrafts. This exhibition also depicts the same fusion of crafts and craftsmanship that has converted traditional crafts to contemporary usage. In fact, you will see a lot of adaptation of traditional crafts in modern designs. At this exhibition you can find an abundance of varied handicrafts. There is a big collection of Mysore rosewood inlay, sandalwood carvings, bronze figurines, bidriware, exclusive jewellery, lacquerware, handcrafted textiles and Channapatna toys. Various items of semi-precious and precious jewellery are also on display.

Something different that you can get here are the jute jewellery sets of earrings and a neckpiece that come in many bright coloured hues. Figurines made from sandalwood, rosewood and shivani wood are also available. If you fancy Tanjore paintings again there are several designs, including a unique Ardhanareshwara again by a national award winner. Another winner is Tara Ashok Hulamanifor known for her Kasuti work on sarees. These come in silk and cotton variants and are priced between Rs 1000 and Rs 7000.

For the first time, there are also the famed pashmina shawls from Kashmir as well as shawls with the traditional carpet pageli design. Ilkal sarees, blouse pieces and salwar suits from North Karnataka, wooden furniture, white metal boxes, kinnal art work, orali paintings and terracotta items are also on display.

At this exhibition you can meet craftsman B V Kumbar, who will take you through the entire procedure of making an item that is quite fascinating in itself. You could contact R Shantha Kumar on 9880688250 for more information on pottery products.

Organised by the Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation there is a 10 per cent discount on all items and 35 per cent off on selected items of Karnataka origin.

The exhibition is on till January 9 at Rajalakshmi Kalyana Mandira, 726, 46th Cross, Jayanagar, Bangalore. Timings are between 10.30 am and 9.30 pm.