Pre-Puja Expo attracts handicraft lovers in Delhi

Setting the celebratory mood in the national capital ahead of the festive season of Durga Puja, a two-week long exhibition of exclusive and exquisite handloom and handicrafts creations of weavers and crafts persons from Bengal was inaugurated recently.

The 8th Edition of 'Bengal Pre-Puja Expo' will go on until September 15, at Handloom Haat, Janpath.

The initiative is being supported by the Departments of MSME and Textiles, Tourism, Backward Classes Welfare, Agricultural Marketing and Information and Cultural Affairs, Government of West Bengal. The Office of Resident Commissioner, Government of West Bengal, is coordinating event.

Artisans from 12 districts of West Bengal are participating in the exposition which is aimed at promoting the rich and glorious tradition of Bengal handicrafts and handloom and also ensuring commercial benefits to the crafts persons and weavers ahead of the Durga Puja festival.

The districts which are being represented are Nadia, Paschim Medinipur, Purba Bardhaman, North 24 Parganas, among others.

Backward Classes Welfare Department, Government of West Bengal, has nominated 14 self-help groups to take part in the fair, so as to facilitate artisans belonging to marginalised sections of society.

The exposition boasts of a range of beautiful handloom and handicrafts products, including 'nakshi kantha' (traditional needle craft), jute products, dokra ornaments, embroidered and hand-painted apparel, terracotta jewellery and patachitra (scroll painting).

West Bengal Tourism, West Bengal Handicrafts Development Corporation, and Department of Agricultural Marketing have also set up stalls at the fair.