Tirupati: Lepakshi festival begins

TIRUPATI: The Lapakshi Handicrafts Emporium, a State Government undertaking has on Thursday set up its Exhibition cum Sales Expo in the premises of Sri Thyagaraja Trust here. Of the 50-odd stalls expected to be put up at the expo by the public and private handicrafts units drawn from different parts of the state, 45 have already become functional while the rest also would go on stream in the next one or two days.

The 13-day expo is being organised by the Lepakshi Handicrafts Emporium, the apex body of the State handicrafts units not only to provide a marketing outlet for an assortment of merchandise produced by the rural artisans with their deft hands but also to develop a taste especially among the younger generation for our desi items.

Materials displayed
Some of the materials on display at the expo are Nirmal paintings, black-metal and Brass items, Banjara embroidery, Hyderabad pearls and jewellery, gold-covering ornaments, leather goods, Kondapalle and Yetikoppaka wood-carved toys, jute items and more importantly the, Rudrakshas the use of which is of late catching up among the religious-minded public.

Also on display are a range of handloom saris of all popular varieties such as Pochampalli, Venkatagiri, Bengali Cotton, Madurai, Chirala, Mangalagiri, Narayanapeta besides attractive dress materials and blankets. While a 10% rebate is allowed on the handicrafts items, it is 20% on the handloom saris, dress materials, blankets etc.

Formally declaring open the mela, the TTD’s Executive Officer, K.V. Ramanachary said that handicrafts and handloom items which are symbols of the Indian traditional crafts deserved all patronage on par with fine arts and literature. He said buying handicrafts goods would mean indirectly helping the family of a rural artisan whose tribe fast on the wane for want of the much-needed patronage.

K. Venkateswara Rao, Manager of the Tirumala Emporium has said that the Lepakshi Handicrafts which achieved an over all sales turn-over of Rs. 46 crore last fiscal has set for itself a higher target of Rs.60 crore of which Rs.32 crore was already achieved.

Courtesy: The Hindu