Three hundred poor minority artisans from across the country will have the opportunity to display and sell their hand-made artefacts at "Hunar Haat" (Skill Haat), organised by the Ministry of Minority Affairs here for 14 days from November 14, where every trade and State will be represented and is expected to be visited by potential Indian and foreign buyers.
Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said letters were written to all State Chief Ministers with a Joint-Secretary coordinating with them on the selection of “the poorest of the poor minority artisans” and bringing ‘Bazar’of their unique hand crafted articles here at Pragati Maidan hall. Around 1500 applications were submitted for 300 slots.
Artefacts to be marked in the exhibition would include those made by cane and bamboo in North-eastern States, cloth work and embroidery (chikan) work, brass artefacts, zardozi clothes work of Uttar Pradesh; collection of pottery work of Southern States; sandalwood and other wooden artefacts, handicrafts from Bihar-Jharkhand, indigenous goods for domestic use from Bengal-Odisha and herbal products made from aloe vera, neem and tulsi among others.
The artisans will also display their skills of making products live before the people at the Paragi Maidan..
The ‘Hunar Haat’ will also display other art or crafts like marble work from Rajasthan; beautiful handicrafts from Gujarat, Pashmina and bronze work from Kashmir. Besides, centuries old Ayurvedic,
Unani health care, glass artefacts, Indian silk-cotton work will also be a part of the exhibition.
Naqvi said ‘Hunar Haat’ will also showcase crafts of cane, bamboo, earthen pots, glass work and old 'Yunani' medicine knowledge to visitors. “Original Ayurvedic products will be showcased,” he said. Similar ‘Skill Haat’ will be organised in other mega cities-Mumbai and Kolkata being next in line, Naqvi said.
The event will provide under one roof an excellent platform to thousands of artisans belonging to Minority communities from across the nation to display their arts and skills before the domestic and international visitors, the minister said.