Dastkar -The Nature Bazaar

 I always buy some fancy things in the exhibitions. I buy what I like & I don’t think of buying as an investment because the fashions change, different things go in and out of favour and values will go up as well as down. I buy to get enjoyment out of the piece for the years to come & if it becomes valuable then that’s an added bonus. Recently I visited Dastkar Exhibition “The Nature Bazaar” at Palace grounds, Bangalore.

Dastkar is a society for crafts and craftspeople. It’s a useful organization that brings artisans of different parts of India under one roof to enable them to sell directly to the public avoiding middlemen. They conduct exhibition cum sales in various cities and give a boost to the exposure, sales and working dynamics of the traditional crafts in this modern age.

Dastkar helps the crafts people to use their own skills & as a means of employment, income generation and economic self- sufficiency. I visited most of the stalls and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I picked quiet a few colorful decorative pieces, Photo frames, fancy umbrella, leather bags etc. I also met many artists & meeting the artists is always an added bonus to buying handcrafted work, finding out about what inspired them to make the work, what methods they use & experience is, always adds to the pleasure of owning something that has been handmade.

The finest part of the Dastkar is the Eco-consciousness is an all-pervading ritual at the exhibition. Most of the artisans stick to natural materials and most importantly they do not resort to usage of plastic bags during sale. Both genuine craft products, along with their industrially made imitations are on display at the exhibition.

The Dastkar “Nature Bazaar” has over 100 craft groups from 19 states of India. - bringing new products and designs in both textile and 3-dimensional craft techniques. The age old skills were given a new contemporary twist. One of the interesting & informative events was the interactive workshops where the children and adults can learn different crafts techniques ranging from doll & puppet making, Bead Jewellery, Madhubani Painting etc. I enjoyed the cultural programs from kids, the famous Gotipua Dance from Orissa, Lambani Dance from Karnataka and the workshops.

Though the prices were on a higher side, but after some bargains I picked for reasonable price. Dastkar exhibition is a visual treat with its colorful atmosphere and vibrant designs in various forms. It gives a nice platform for the artisans to sell as well as promote their products.

Kudos to Dastkar ‘Nature Bazaar’ for bringing a cross section of the finest and most varied craft techniques and products, presented by the craftspeople themselves. It’s a great way to celebrate Independence Day by visiting the Nature Bazaar stalls after stalls of gorgeous craft and art from different regions of India which on display are artifacts from all over the country.

The Dastkar ‘Nature Bazaar’ was on till 16th of August 2020 at Bangalore Palace Grounds. It is definitely worth a watch. The stalls, the colours, the variety, the artwork, the music, folk feel is refreshing & is all really worth the experience.

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