Head to New Town Mela grounds one of these days and spend a lovely afternoon browsing the best of handicrafts from across the country. Saras Mela is anchored there till January 2, from noon to 8.30pm.
Organised by the state panchayat and rural development department, the fair has stalls selling saris, patachitra, bags and lots more. A large food court has been set up too. Here’s a glimpse of what you might find at the grounds-
(L-R) Yellow taxi jacket
STALL: 82 This stall has attractive jackets with motifs of Calcutta’s famous yellow taxis and autos but another bestseller is the unisex kurta with motifs of “haldi” and “sangeet”. “At lavish north Indian weddings, the families buy such themed outfits and gift, say, all 150 guests the same thing to be worn at a particular ritual. Such orders are pouring in,” says Aparna Mal, the desginer who runs the boutique AM Fashion Hub around PNB Island in Salt Lake.
Price: Rs 1,500 for the taxi and auto jackets, Rs 800 for the haldi/ sangeet kurta
Concentration toys
STALL: 141 Artisans have come from Puducherry with toys to help you wean little ones off the mobile phone. “One toy has a car sliding down a pillar, one level at a time. Another has marbles falling from one bucket to another. These toys are colourful to keep kids attracted and at the same time, are designed to help them focus their eyes and concentrate on something off-screen for a fair amount of time,” says stall-keeper Ramalatchoumy. They also have table bowling and table basketball games that are doing well.
Price: Rs 450 for the car game, Rs 350 for the marble bucket game
(L-R) Indigo shibori outfits
STALL: 42 “Elsewhere it’s the tees that sell the best but at this fair, it’s dresses,” says Shilpi Sinha, who has used indigo in the Japanese shibori dying technique to also make short kurtas, crop tops, hoodies and bucket hats. “And I launched a collection of co-ord outfits at this fair too.” These coordinated outfits usually comprise a top and bottom, created in the same style, to be worn together. To the layman the clothes may appear like tie-and-dye but shibori requires fabric to be stitched before dyeing, resulting in more intricate patterns.
Price: Rs 800
Rajasthani bed sheets
STALL: 131 “Our ‘razai’s are not selling as customers are saying they’ll be too warm for the mild winters in Calcutta. But we are doing brisk sales of reversible bedsheets that can be used as light blankets round the year,” says Ganesh Verma. The double bed sheets are sober in colour and design and come in a set, with two pillowcases. “We only use vegetable dyes on these and also have a range of sheets in ajrak and Rajasthani kantha.
Price: Rs 2,500