Bangalore mela showcases rural India’s artforms

About 50 artists and artisans, all national and state awardees from various parts of India, are showcasing the unique crafts from their respective regions at the Cottage Mela under way in Bangalore. 

The Central Cottage Industries Emporium (CCIE) has organised the annual mela at Safina Plaza in the city. The  mela, inaugurated on Monday, will be on till January 2.

This year, the annual event has gone up in terms of exclusivity with the concept of ‘Cottage Pavilion’ which provides a platform to demonstrate the creation of various kinds of handicrafts, and also gives a holistic image of rural Indian aesthetics.

“This event provides a big boost for artists and artisans from across the country. We should come together to conserve our great Indian culture through our traditional arts,” said actor Meghana Gaonkar, who inaugurated the mela.

Speaking about the idea and aim behind the pavilion, Sushant Mukherjee, AGM, CCIE, said, “This will provide a real feeling of cottage artwork and the people will get a taste of the real village atmosphere.”

This year’s displays include tribal handicrafts from Bastar, exotic handicrafts like wood-carvings, bell metal, terracotta and bamboo artifacts, as well as the national award winning brass art from Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh, lacquerware craft from Maharashtra, Madhubani paintings from Bihar, bronze and brass idols from Bengal, Kashmir, Bihar, Banjara needlecraft from Andhra Pradesh, silk kurtas, jackets, scarves and ties from Karnataka and Tanjore paintings.

A Madhya Pradesh brass artist said, “This event has provided us with a platform for exchange of ideas with artists from other states and those specialising in other forms of art.”