Chennai, Sept 28: For those who are looking for a whiff of Manipur, Assam or Tripura, the North East crafts fair might be a worthwhile place to search, what with its wide range of Manipuri dolls and Naga wooden dolls and tribal masks.
The expo, which has brought together artisans of seven North Eastern states under one roof has an array of products including embroidery, leather, wooden artefacts and traditional handicrafts.
The stalls of different North Eastern states showcase several varieties of traditional wares, right from Assamese `munga' and silk sarees to Nagaland's dry flowers.
Besides cane baskets from Tripura and Assamese jute items, the fair has an exclusive collection of bamboo furniture from Manipur and Assam that is expected to attract the art lovers.
The fair, which aims at promoting the ethnic crafts of rural artisans, has a wide collection of products for consumers in the 6-60 years age group such as cane jewellery, toys and Naga woollen shawls. Be it, gamocha (towels), Kouna cushions or bamboo ware, every artifact reflected the ethnicity of the states.
The manager of the North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation, S.K.Puzari says Chennai is one of the favoured destinations for exhibiting the wares due to the city's art lovers who patronise handicrafts.
As for the support to the rural folk in North Eastern states, he said the Corporation provides subsidised raw material and training in modern techniques, besides buying the finished products from the artisans.
"We also conduct such exhibitions in different parts of the country to encourage them to explore new areas and exchange ideas", he added. The exhibition, organised at Lakshmi Hall, 100 Feet Road, Ashok Nagar is open to the public between 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., until October 8.