Craftsmen of Lepcha and Mech communities to participate in Lokshilpa O Karukriti Mela

Kolkata: The artisans and craftsmen of Lepcha and Mech communities will participate in the three-day long Lokshilpa O Karukriti Mela scheduled to be held at Rabindra Bharati University.

Professor Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury, Vice-Chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University will inaugurate the fair on May 7 at Jorasanko Thakurbari.

It may be recalled that after coming to power in 2011, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took the initiative to save the traditional craftsmen and artisans as well the folk artists. Nearly 1.80 lakh folk artists are given monthly stipend and are given programmes throughout the year for their sustenance.

The state government also presents musical instruments like dotara, dhamsa madal to the folk artists. The revival of Muslin has taken place and Muslin saree and other items are being sold through the Biswa Bangla stalls.

Haimanti Chattopadhyay, secretary, West Bengal State Akademi of dance Drama Music and Visual Arts, RBU said 60 artists, craftsmen and weavers from 17 districts will take part in the mela with a wide range of attractive traditional art and craft items made by them. It is for the first time the Lepcha and Mech communities from Kalimpong and Alipurduar will participate in the fair. The Lepcha artisans will showcase be the traditional handicrafts.

The patchitras, mats and decorative items of West Midnapore will be displayed.

Naya Pingla, a village in West Midnapore has become internationally famous because of the patchitras. A three-day fair is organised by the artisans every year and people from different parts of the country and abroad come to the house of Bahadur chitrakar to see his private collection. The lac items of east Midnapore will be displayed. The batik from Howrah and Birbhum districts, kantha stitch items and wood cravings from east and west Burdwan district and dokra jewellery, shoal crafts from Birbhum districts will be on display.