If you fancy ethnic traditional craftworks such as Andhra Pradesh's Kalamkari hand painting and Bihar's Sujni hand embroidery or for that matter you are keen to explore the tradition craftsmen, it's time to head to a four-day festival being organised here by Asian Heritage Foundation.
Themed 'Nayi Taleem', the event at T-112, Aam Bagh, in Mehrauli is part of the foundation's pioneering project, Jiyo!. The festival has brought together traditional knowledge systems and novel design practices with an amalgamation of performing arts, stakeholder consultations, artisan-designer round tables, leading edge conversations and the mass spinning of charkha by the mohalla women, said the organisers.
Around 60 artisans from across the country are showcasing their traditional skills in craft and culinary besides music and dance.
The JIYO Initiative has a recognizable presence for the last ten years in Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and holds an important stakeholder consultation on the World Handmade Textile Biennales, being planned by the foundation to position the living heritage of India on the global stage, said the organisers.
This will be achieved through aggregation and showcasing of unique and innovative design-led development initiatives in five centres of handmade textiles in
Ahmedabad, Varanasi, Pochampalli, Jaipur and Srinagar. The curtain raiser to the World Handmade Textiles Biennales was held on March 5th here. It was inaugurated by the Textile Minister Smriti Irani.
Supported by The World Bank and Japan Social Development Fund, the JIYO has impacted more than 3000 beneficiaries, established 22 self-sustaining community-based organizations , set up protocols for production and International participation in prestigious exhibitions i.e. International Folk Life festival, Santa Fe and Maison & Objet Paris. Bawanbuti hand loom weaving, Sikki basketry and hand painted Madhubani from Bihar, Sabai natural fibre basketry, Metal casting - Dokra and hand weaving in Kotpad from Odisha, Jharkhand's culinary skills in
Gumla and Hazaribagh and Bamboo artisans besides Madhya Pradesh's block printing textiles in Bagh, beadwork Jewellery in Jhabua, Gond hand painting and Mandla pottery are already catching the fancy of the visitors.