From traditional mats and household items to the jute sari, IITF this time is all about developing eco-friendly living. By Team Viva
With plastics now a classified enemy, good old jute is back in our lives, manifesting itself as an array of lifestyle and household items at India International Trade Fair. And if you thought that it is only a functional textile, the jute saris on display showed how it could be the next big craze after khaki.
While the pure jute sari is a warming ethnic statement in the Delhi winter, its variants are also in demand. Jute has excellent blending qualities with other fibres and can be used in combination with pure silk saris, cotton saris, sico, art silk georgette, chiffon, dupion, tussar, organza, crepe and so on. The best part, these saris are strong and easy to carry even during the rough and tumble of a working day.
The fair has a slew of jute products — curtains, mats, jewellery, hair accessories and innovative toys and dolls. One of the stall owners, Rakesh Mehta, says, “You can find a variety of jute products here, right from a hair band to footwear. The pick-ups have been good and I am extremely happy.” Emphasising on the lastability of the textile, he adds, “Jute is first stripped from the plant, then scraped to remove the extraneous fibres and treated with chemicals for softening and smoothening it. The pure jute fabric properties, such as its strength, coarseness, roughness and thickness make it a great raw material for making sacks, ropes and especially saris.” There are jute coasters and cushion covers, too, that have been combined with areca nut and corn.
Little did we know of another innovation, a jute layering for roads, which protects the surface from getting affected by seepage of water. Explains Vivek, who is doing a roadshow on the same, “These mats will help the roads retain their quality for years. Nowadays we see roads breaking down every now and then. This is a very useful product on a large scale.”
We noticed a woman vendor from Patna making a terracotta mural as earth elements make their way into our homes. Says she, “Terracotta toys and utensils are very popular but murals still have their charm intact.” Another earth element, bamboo furniture, was a hit too with people making eco-friendly choices.
Amid the expected line-up of a variety of attractive Pashmina shawls and Madhubani paintings, the products made by the Tihar School of Art caught our attention. The prisoners at the jail make scented candles, biscuits, snacks and mustard oil every year. Its representative Ravi Mahajan tells us how portraits, paintings and jute bags were new additions and that the artworks presented interesting perspectives of the world seen from captivity.
Meanwhile, a nationalist mood has meant that a large number of students assembled near a CRPF stall, which displayed equipment and weapons.
Focussing on this year’s theme — Ease of doing business, the general manager of the fair, Hema Maity says, “The theme was decided last year inspired by India’s 63rd ranking on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index. It also focusses on the need to bring more businesses into India and strengthen its trade market internationally.”
The fair gives a deeper insight into Micro and Small Scale Enterprises (MSMEs), non-government agencies, artisans, self-help groups, and more.
A PhD scholar, Reena Dikshit, who has taken the oath to replace every plastic material, with wood gained appreciation from all over. She says, “I studied in detail about plastic and the increasing level of harm that it does. I then decided to replace every possible plastic product with wood. You will find that all my products are infused with a personal touch.” Of course, the innovation is clearly evident in terms of multiple folding pieces, something which was once a preserve of the very moldable plastic.