'Hastkala Utsav' gives boost to Indian handlooms and handicrafts

Traditional India takes the spotlight of the day at NIFT Hyderabad with the commencement of "Hastkala Utsav: Craft Bazaar and Artisan Awareness Workshop 2022." The three day event held from 6th to 8th April, which is a part of a craft cluster initiative, brings forward the skilled hands and the genius brains behind the Indian handlooms and handicraft.

The event was inaugurated on 6th April '22 in attendance of the Director of NIFT, Hyderabad Vijay Kumar Mantri, IAS, with guests S M Ali, Assistant Director, office of development commission, handicrafts and Dr Arun Kumar, Director, Weaver's Service Center. Craft Cluster Initiative Coordinator Shivanand Sharma welcomed the attendees and guests at the Artisan Awareness Workshop and Craft Bazaar.

Joint Director, NIFT, Hyderabad, L Madan Kumar Reddy, CAC Prof. Dr Annaji Sarma, and the guests spoke encouraging for the students to integrate fashion with Indian handlooms and handicrafts. As a part of artisan awareness workshop, interactions and exchange of perspectives with valuable and insightful inputs given by the experts, faculty and students on design diversification, marketing techniques and current scenario to portray the Indian crafts on global markets. This event is a success in bringing together the diversity residing within Telengana and Andhra Pradesh.

NIFT Craft Bazaar is a well known annual event which showcases products from handloom and handicraft workers for sale and exhibition to connect potential buyers to the original creators. Some of these products showcased at this event are Narayanpet sarees, Etikopakka toys, Pochampally Ikat, Mahadevpur Tussar silk, Pedama Kalamkari, Leather Puppetry, Mangalgiri sarees, Bharoon craft, Cheriyal Painting, Pembarti metal craft, Banjara craft and Telangana jute craft.

Aside from this, students of NIFT also displayed an array of stalls with handmade products, food and so on. Event showcased the sacred legacy of Indian Handloom and Handicrafts thriving.

Students of the college were seen curating Indo-Western collections during the styling competition wherein they have used crafts from all over India under the guidance of faculty & Craft Cluster Coordinator Shivanand Sharma.

The crowd was also seen at the stalls being put up by artisans from all over Telangana alongside student stalls with handmade products and food, with plenty of people being immersed in this experience of bringing true India to the campus.