Ten days. 90 stalls. One gigantic santhe! Here’s another bazaar to get your shopping binge on for the week 

Back in the city with its 12th edition, the santhe will feature handicrafts in various materials like bamboo, terracotta, cotton, silk, metal, wood, paper, among others.
Sampoorn Santhe
Sampoorn Santhe

Bringing over 90 artisans and crafts groups from across 19 states including West Bengal, Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Orissa — Sampoorn Santhe is a 10-day annual arts and crafts exhibition organised by Sampoorn,  a Bengaluru-based NGO. 

Back in the city with its 12th edition, the santhe will feature handicrafts in various materials like bamboo, terracotta, cotton, silk, metal, wood, paper, among others. Find handloom and handicrafts along with food stalls and other forms of entertainment as well, “We have live puppetry, bangle making, miniature painting demo, patachitra and Madhubani painting demo and folk dance performances among others,” says Shalini Singh Sudarshan, founder of the NGO.   Showcasing fabrics designed using natural dyes and home  décor products made out of wood, everything at the exhibition revolves around sustainability, we are told. The variety of handlooms include vegetable-dyed kalamkari saris, kurtis, maheshwari saris, shibori print saris and dhakhai saris.  

“Sampoorn was founded in 1999 by a group of women entrepreneurs. As of now, there are over 1,800 artisan and craft members under this NGO that is run by seven committee members,” says Shalini. “The objective is to develop their craft in the urban market without involving middle men,” he adds.  One can also find home décor from Auroville, lampshades made of dried leaves, wooden utensils and artifacts, organic products and furniture pop-shops. Keep an eye out for artisans who focus on design-conscious, handmade products made out of (recycled, reused, upcycled) materials such as bamboo, fabric, clay and paper. Gond and bhatti folk paintings from Madhya Pradesh and quilts with tiger motifs from Rajasthan are another star attractions.

On the crafts side, there are wall décor, black stone pottery from Manipur and blue pottery  from Rajasthan. “The exhibition is not for established brands. It is for individuals who use old forms of art and craft,” emphasises the organiser.

Starts February 15. From 11 am to 7.30 pm. At Kalakshetra Foundation. 

—Fathima Ashraf
fathima@newindianexpress.com| @ fathiimaashraf

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