Bangalore Utsav a hit among art and culture aficionados

Bangalore Utsav 2017, an arts and craft exhibition which started on November 20th at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath attracted curious crowds from across the city. On the first day itself, the Utsav garnered a good response. And for art-loving Bengaluru as well as those from outside the city, the event has been a big draw.

Rachael from America who was present at the Utsav said "I found the Bangalore Utsav interesting. It gave me an opportunity to explore the culture and tradition of the country".

Weavers and artisans have on display various handmade products ranging from khadi, handloom fabrics, mats and baskets made from grass, antiques, metal and leather crafts, Madhubani paintings and much more. In terms of handlooms and sarees, Kasuthi, tussar, ikkat, Madhubani, and Kalamkari were the most popular. Channapatna toys, terracotta jewellery, wood inlay products and a variety of lamps added to the beauty of the Bangalore Utsav.

Sukhdev from West Bengal, who sells mats and curtains made of natural grass says, "I come twice a year, people seem interested in handmade stuff".

Dilkush, an artisan from Rajasthan, whose stall displays handmade products native to his state, says "People are attracted towards glass lamps." He also has miniature and hand-carved crafts figurines ranging from Rs 50 to Rs 20,000. And artisans from Odisha have colourful stalls of bedspreads, curtains, and linen ranging from Rs. 550 onwards.

Sewa International, an NGO that supports weavers and girl children, have put up a stall with varieties of fabrics from the weavers all over the country, like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Kashmir. Chaitra from Sewa International says "We are here to support and promote our weavers. This intiative is a part of our GaataKatha project, and our aim is to connect the weavers across India directly to consumers across the globe. All proceeds go to the weavers themselves".

'GST affected our trade'

Artisans and weavers feel that this year the crowd has thinned, as compared to previous years. Due to the GST levied on handicrafts and handmade products. With governments one tax, one nation policy, the handmade products attract 18 % tax.

Radhe Shyam from Rajasthan said, "I have been coming here for 7 years, but this year the business is low. GST has affected our trade". Santosh, from Bihar, who has a wide collection of sarees in his stall at the Bangalore Utsav, too feels that GST has impacted his business.