Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network—Udupi (HB)
Udupi, Dec 11: The inauguration of the five-day colourful ‘Hemanthotsav’, a national tribal and folk workshop and exhibition, was held on the MGM College campus in Udupi on Wednesday December 10.
The artiste workshop and cultural performances were organized by Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS) Bhopal/ SRC, Mysore, in collaboration with Yakshagana Kala Kendra.
Dr Bhaskarananda Kumar, senior orthopedic surgeon, inaugurated the programme and said, “Art is an expression of our feelings. A real artiste must be capable of demonstrating every role. Our body language conveys inner emotions. An art can be showcased through paintings and it reveals one’s culture.”
Traditional dances from the North Eastern states of Assam, Manipur, Sikkim and others will be held in the evenings from Wednesday to Friday December 12 from 6 pm to 9 pm on the same campus.
Ashokvardhana, officer in-charge, IGRMS-SRC, Mysore, opines, “India is known to be a diverse country. This is a small effort towards introducing national unity and integrity under a single roof.”
H K Bhat said, “This is an attempt to promote research and training in Indian folk arts and revitalize vanishing crafts.”
The folk artisans arrived on the night of Tuesday Dcember 9 to participate and exchange cultural uniqueness. Clay models, traditional clothes, colorful costumes made out of bamboo, sandals, handlooms, handmade bags, toys, decorative items, various form of paintings like ‘Madhubani’, dye work, leather bags, and so on can be found at the event.
A huge crowd of MGM students and the public gathered at the shops to purchase and the items. Kalavathi Halesh of Ramanagar, Bengaluru, showcased clay images of Gods, magic lamps, and other gift items. She said that she had been crafting terracotta art since 12 years. According to her, there is a good market for clay items. “More than five lac pieces are sold every year. We participate in all exhibitions/sale events, undertaken by the government,” she added.
A shop owner from Bidar was selling zinc items inlaid with pure silver on zinc. Meanwhile, artistes Chikka Siddaiah and Neelamma (60) said that they started working in 2008 and had gone to many states like Delhi, Haryana, and so on. There was a time when plastic items were in vogue, but now people have changed their lifestyle. Siddaiah said that the public response had been good. He gets the bamboo from Kodagu district.
Agnesh Cricketta and Sumanthi from Bhopal said that their art form was handed down traditionally. It involves drawing with the fingers using natural mud colors and minimum use of the brush. She had designed a holy ‘Karmaraja’ tree and shared its cultural importance.
Sumi (23), completed her graduation and is now engaged in handloom work with her friend Prothibha and said, “People of Udupi are good at communication and they respects us all.” She has come from Assam.
There were two types of bags including one with ‘Batik’ on cloth and another with embossing design, exhibited by Sima Banarjee from West Bengal.
All products on display are cost-effective and of good quality. Each and every piece has been crafted with love and passion. Around 60 tribal and folk artisans and more than 200 people participated in this exhibition.
R M Nayal, programme co-coordinator, and Rakesh Bhat, assistant keeper, IGRMS, were present.
H K Bhat delivered the keynote address and welcomed the gathering. Nagendra, IGRMS, Mysore, delivered the vote of thanks.