State of the art

Today,it was the dancers’ day out,who added colour with their costumes and splendid live performances and the sounds of traditional instruments. For children the main attractions were the behrupias,a puppet show,Kachi Ghori and the stick walkers.

While each state has a treasure-trove of handicrafts,from Himachal Pradesh are artists who are keeping their dying arts alive,against all odds. For instance,stall no G 49 by Vishal has art metal work from Nurpur. Whether it’s a planter,a wall plaque or metallic face,each article made from bronze,emits magical charm. Strokes of perfection can be seen in the Stall no G 48,which has a wide collection of Kangra paintings. The special feature of these paintings is that only organic colours are used and simply breathtaking are the miniature paintings,each delicate stroke and colour telling a story. Warm up to winter,with Kinnauri shawls of Himachal Pradesh at stall no G-9. Single border Kinnauri shawls,shawls from Kullu,half Kinnai shawl,are all at hand,with intricate designs and colour combinations.

“There’s so much to see and buy,I just don’t know where to start. I am going to do all my Diwali shopping here,” quips Neera Singh,who loves the black pottery here and marvels at the range of art work here.

For many,the entire concept of creating a village is amazing,“it goes with the feel of Kalagram and the handicrafts,arts,dances and the attention to detail is heart-warming. Despite so much rush,the place is clean,the amenities,security and display are all in place and I’ve been coming back for the food since the last three days,” smiles Gautam Khanna,a student. On the eve of Punjab Day,a programme titled ‘Celebrating Exuberance of Punjab’ enthralled visitors. On the centre stage were artists who had the audience swaying to the beats and performed gidda,jhoomar,jindua,bhangra…

Also on is Jadugar V Samrat’s magic show,which will continue till November 4. On November 2,at 6.30 pm you can look forward to enchanting Swar Lehri of Rajasthan.