The number of artisans has been slashed to about half of those who came in 2019 but there are still 4,000 of them from across the state who have brought their best to offer you at Hastashilpa Mela.
Spread around Eco Park’s gate 1, the West Bengal State Handicrafts Expo 2020-21 was inaugurated on January 29. “We had requests for many more stalls but could not allow more due to Covid protocol. Fairs are a major source of revenue for artisans,” said Swapan Debnath, minister of state for micro, small and medium enterprises and textile department at the opening.
The fair has artisans selling saris, furniture, carpets and lots of patachitra artwork. It will continue till February 15, from 1pm to 8.30pm and entry is free. Here is a glimpse of what’s on sale-
1. Sliced-wood wall hangings
Basudeb Behera
What: Sandip Dutta has sliced branches of mahogany to get a smooth surface to paint Ramakrishna, Sarada Ma, bauls, village folk etc. “On some of these, we have even placed tiny glasses of water with money plants growing out. I wanted to give the impression of a tree growing out of a tree,” smiles the Nimta resident.
Where: Outside stall 14
Price: Rs 150-200. Those with money plants growing cost Rs 400-900
2. Clay dolls
Basudeb Behera
What: Look closely and you’ll find a replica of everyone from Gopal Bhar to Gandhi and Ma Kali to A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on these shelves. “Many of these statues have wiring inside which I’ve covered with burnt clay. These are highly durable,” says
Debkumar Sarkar of Krishnanagar. He also has cute Chhota Bheem dolls, bobble heads and his best-sellers — tribal figures.
Where: Stall 7
Price: Rs 90 for small Gopal Bhar, Rs 500 for A.P.J. Abdul Kalam bust.
3. Three-in-one bag
Basudeb Behera
What: This fashionable round-shaped purse transforms into a single or double-strapped backpack as well as a duffle bag you can carry to the gym. “It took me nearly three years to develop this concept. The bag can hold weight of up to 12kg and the exterior has been stitched using 83 different pieces of waste material in applique style,” says Sanjoy Pal of Nabadweep.
Where: Outside stall 7
Price: Rs 550 to 750
4. Seed jewellery
Basudeb Behera
What: Alak Kumar Pal searches high and low for unusual-looking seeds to create jewellery out of. “The grey seeds running along the length of this necklace are lata seeds and the chocolate brown pendant is a gila seed. Both flaunt their natural colours, while I’ve painted wooden bits and placed them as fillers through the string,” says the craftsman from West Midnapore.
Where: Outside stall 29
Price: Rs 300
5. Synthetic ivory sculpture
Basudeb Behera
What: Debasmita Bhaskar’s ancestors used to carve ivory but since it got banned, her family imports special stone sheets from South Korea that bear a similar look. “We have large and small sculptures of gods, jewellery and even a replica of elephant tusks. We have sold several hair bun pins at this fair already,” says the artisan from Murshidabad.
Where: Stall 9
Price: Rs 1.5 lakh for the 4-ft Ganesh, Rs 300 for hair bun pins with rose motif
6. Frog-shaped dustbin
Basudeb Behera
What: This cane basket looks so cute one doubts if buyers would be able to use it as a bin. “Well, people can also use it as a laundry basket. We also have bins shaped like elephants and baskets shaped like hens and swans,” says Bibhas Jana of East Midnapore. “Our products get retailed around the country.”
Where: Stall 28
Price: Rs 2,200
7. Batik wall hangings
Basudeb Behera
What: This Durga wall hanging makes you stop in your tracks and stare. Artisan Somnath Ghosh also has T-shirts in similar patterns available for all ages right down to babies. “I have them with images of Kali, Buddha and Durga. These are painstaking to create but I’m happy customers are liking them,” says the Howrah resident.
Where: Stall 33
Price: Rs 3,800
8. Jute horses
Basudeb Behera
What: Gour Das has replicated the look of the Bankura horse but with jute. “The skeleton of these horses is made of papier mache and then I have wrapped the exterior with jute ropes for effect,” says Das, who has come from Bolpur with owls made in the same style.
Where: Outside stall 18
Price: Rs 9,000 for a pair of 4ft horses. Rs 450 for table-sized ones.
9. Gyathuk soup noodles
Basudeb Behera
What: Roustang Bhotia’s stall is easily the busiest in her pavilion and visitors are pouring in for both — to buy gyathuk and to hear her speak Bengali. “Mashima, eta apni joley phutiye khaben, byapok lagbe!” she promises as the crowd bursts into laughter hearing the rich vocabulary of the Kalimpong girl.
And when a customer claimed he gets cheaper noodles in Calcutta, without batting an eyelid, Roustang proclaimed: “Shob bhyajal! This real gyatuk takes barely five minutes to cook but is a Tibetan delicacy. It’s especially suitable for the elderly as it is easily digestible, barely needs to be chewed and is soft to swallow,” says the lady who has a knack for picking up languages.
Where: Stall 38
Price: Rs 40 a pack
10. Scrap art
Basudeb Behera
What: The artwork looks attractive — there’s everything from Jesus Christ and Krishna to hunters, rockstars and even a coronavirus model (picture above). But look closely and you’ll realise they are made of nuts, bolts, shock absorbers... “Scrap art had taken off in the West 10 to 15 years ago but the scale there is huge. I’m making smaller pieces that are affordable by the masses,” says Tamal Das of Santiniketan.
Where: Outside stall 22
Price: Rs 200 onwards
