Eye catching array of clothing, accessories, home decor and more makes its way to the ‘Haat’. Hosted at Ice Skating Rink in Ballygunge area, the fair will continue till March 7 from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. The Telegraph explores the unique finds the ‘Haat’ curates. Refreshingly, home-grown brands have their best creations on display. The entrepreneurs talk at length about their products.
Silk Kaftans from Bandhabi
Vibrant coloured pure silk kaftan is Mehuli Goswami’s own creation. She personally handprints each piece to give it its signature Bandhabi look. The owner created this special kurta for a more comfortable yet festive look. “The silk kurtas can also be worn as a dress. The flaps and falls of the material create an elegant yet slim look”, says the entrepreneur. The Bandhabi Boutique near Anwar Shah road has been Mehuli’s dream work for the last 18 years. The store specialises in pure silk sarees, kurtis and more. Starting price @ Rs 2600
Brass idols from Banjara
Ornate brass items with intricate design, made the Banjara store look like an antique corner of a palace. Small figurines to large idols, caught the attention of The Telegraph. Manufactured in Aligarh, the premium quality brass products are coated with oxidised polishing to avoid decolouration.
Ganesh and Buddha idols present at the store was a new take on the traditional design with the meenakari kalakari art embellishments.
The store offers not only decorative items but also regular use items such as masaladani for kitchens, door handles, locks, puja dhoopdani, bells and sankha.
Some items like the puja bell and sankha have artistic archaeological cravings like ancient temples, which adds to the ornate look.
Sanjana Singh holding their exquisite dhoopdani .
Owner Sanjana Singh and her husband has started the Banjara 3 years ago and hopes for brass to become a sustainable alternative in the upcoming years. Price range @ Rs 200 up to Rs 5000
Printed kurta’s from Swayamvar
Digitally printed kurta’s made in luxurious summer-loom fabric makes for a elegant, sophisticated yet comfortable wear. The owner prides himself on the print mechanism of the clothing, as it allows him to be versatile and use any form of print or pattern on his collection. The cloths displayed at the store included Bandhani, tie dye Batik, Ajrakh , Kalamkari, Polka, Lahariya and vegetable printed fabric. The highest attraction of the store was the Masaba print kurtas at an affordable price. Price range @Rs 1500 up to Rs 3500
Naga necklace from Poter Bibi
Hand painted earing, silver bracelet, carving stone necklace
New jewellery trends of rugged carving stone accessories are coming to the market like wildfire. Poter Bibi holds on to that trend and offers more. Owner Moumita Banerjee’s displays of stone jewellery was a major attraction. Jewellery made with carving stone, Monalisa stone, and Darjeeling stone is a great accessory to pair with western and Indo western clothing. On the other hand, for the Indian wear lover there was a sizeable selection of 20% pure silver jewellery. Among the silver jewellery some pieces had ornate cravings of deities and sculptural elements to it. The Telegraph spotted a beautiful floral hand painted earring which could jazz up any simple outfit.
Moumita Banerjee wearing Naga style necklace and displaying mix and match Naga-Afghan style neckpiece.
However the main attraction was the culture specific Naga inspired beaded necklace, modelled by the owner herself. She also personally shows her own handiwork of combining Afghan style pieces with beaded Naga style necklace which can add a very quirky edge to an otherwise simple outfit. Price range @ Rs 150 to Rs 5000
Leather Puppets from Khande Mohan Rao
Leather Poppets
Authentic leather Puppets from Andhra Pradesh makes it way to the Haat. The wall hanging poppets made in Kalankari style was splendid to look at and would make for a great art piece in any eclectics style home decor. The owner describes the process of transforming goat leather into an art piece. The raw leather is first dried, then boiled in hot water to remove its colour and bring out its translucency, thereafter it is painted on to reveal the art piece.
Owner Mohan Rao brings a bit of Andhra to Kolkata.
There was a large display of vibrantly coloured wall hangings and lampshades made in the same way. The decorative lamp shades lit up the stall corner attracting customers. Price range @ Rs 300 upto Rs 3000.
The Telegraph Unique picks
Mun showing her hand painted favourite.
1) Hand painted kurti's by Mun's Creation, @Rs 1800
2) A new take on kanthastich, with Quilted bedcovers and pillow covers by Jaipur World @Rs 3500
Insha dressed in her short kurti display the collection.
3) Short cotton kurtis ideal for the summer by Maish Creations @Rs 850
4) Designer clothing for your worshipped idols by Bansuri @Rs 1500
Owner Zaara Khan displaying her Chikankari collection.
5) Gorgeous chikankari designer outfits by Nakah @ Rs 45000