The National Arts and Crafts Mela-2015, organised by Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI) here in collaboration with National Scheduled Tribes Finance Development Corporation, New Delhi, concluded in the SCSTRTI premises on Tuesday.
The Mela which continued from November 18 to 24 was designed to provide a working and learning process where the tribal artists, artisans and art lovers managed to come across display of a diversity of tribal arts and crafts from different parts of India.
This year the theme of the festival was ‘Tribal India’. The participants in around 40 crafts kiosk of different States presented creative talents of their respective ethnic groups.
Eleven States like Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Manipur, Madhya Pradash, Maharastra, Rajastan, West Bengal and Andhara Pradesh had joined hands to put up an unbelievable show of handlooms and handicrafts.
The Mela attracted lots of tribal culture lovers, researchers and local people. Business of art and craft items too was brisk. In the live demonstration and sale of art and crafts items, the objective was to encourage the tribal talents and help them move towards entrepreneurship in course of time in the contemporary market driven economy, said SCSTRTI Assistant Director (R) Kalpana Patnaik. “We have got a scope through the Mela to see and purchase different varieties of tribal art and craft products directly from artisans,” said visitor Suman Rani Tripathy.