Silvester D'Souza

Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (MS)

Kundapur, Dec 16: Though her body was physically weak due to polio, the young girl did not sit quiet and brood over it. Instead, she taught herself with self-motivation and mastered the art of handicraft. By doing so, she has attracted state-wide attention.

Lalita is a model and inspiration for the young generation of present day. When people, who have well-built physique, roam around without doing any productive work, Lalita, whose hand, leg and body is affected with polio, has challenged her physical deficiencies successfully and has done the magic by manufacturing various goods by handicraft. Her silent achievement has won her this year's Udupi district Rajyotsava award.

Lalita has to crawl if she has to move from one place to another. If she has to go outside, she needs to be carried by someone else. But these shortcomings of body did not dampen her spirit. The whole society is awestruck by her talent in art and handicraft. Her root source is paper from which she prepares various artistic things like vases, goodudeepa etc.

Lalita was hale and hearty like anyone else till the age of four. The high fever, which struck her at the age of four made her cripple. However, it affected only her body and not the mind. She was waiting for opportunity to prove herself that she is also worthy to live in society and does not want to become a burden. She created many shapes in her mind.

Initially, Lalita started making cotton wicks and sold them locally. Then took up the manufacture of incense sticks. She used to mix perfume and prepare high quality of incense sticks. However, she could not continue this work due to the rising cost of raw materials required for this product. This gave way to the manufacture of handicrafts.

A decade ago, Lalita started to create her own creative shapes using paper and fish wire without any formal training. Sarita, wife of Lalita's brother, who noticed her interest in handicrafts encouraged her. Sarita used to market the products prepared by her sister-in-law Lalita. As the days passed by, the artistic nature of Lalita also took maturity.

Lalita manufactures more than 150 types of handicraft items which include baskets of various shapes, flower vases, goodudeepas, door hangings, ornaments of various designs and cotton bag that has beautiful embroidery on it. She takes lot of time to do each and every item as her hands do not work like a normal human being.

Lalita is the second of the five children of couple Mahabala Poojary and Gulabi, residents of Kumbashi Koravadi. Though she did not go to school, Lalita can read and write in Kannada and English languages.

Samruddhi Mahila Mandali Cherkadi, which noticed the talent of Lalita, arranged an exhibition of the goods prepared by her. She was felicitated on December 3, the Day of Persons with Disabilities. Kumbashi gram panchayat has offered her a wheel chair.

Lalita's enthusiasm is not limited to handicrafts alone. She has made a small garden near her house by crawling itself. She uses a trowel as a shovel and grows some vegetables and plants. She spends around two hours every day in her small garden. Rest of the time she devotes for the manufacture of handicrafts.

Lalita has a dream of expanding the art which she has learnt on a large scale. If the concerned departments are willing, her talent will be known throughout the state.