Chennai : After 3 long years Jaya Jaitly, prominent activist, crafts promoter and founder of Dilli Haat is bringing ‘Dastkari Craft bazaar – an exhibition of regional crafts, art and textiles’ to Chennai. More than 100 different craftsmen from the villages, towns and cities of various part of India will present their handmade creations. The focus of the exhibition is on products that are handmade by local artisans across the country with strong contemporary design inputs. The exhibition will display the beauty of India’s best work around 100 handcrafted applications on metal, wood, clay, embroidered and woven textiles and traditional art. Folk music and dance will also be performed all the days.

Hand block printed textiles and embroidered textiles from Rajasthan, hand woven textiles from Varanasi, Terracotta from Kerala, Leatherwork from Shantiniketan in West Bengal, Madhubani art, Assorted crafts from Punjab, Hand painted and natural dyed textiles in Kalamkari from Andhra, Hand painted patachitra from West Bengal, Papier mache and wooden objects painted with the old art of decorating papier machie  from Kashmir, Hand embroidered  kani sozni art of Kashmir, Patachitra art from Orissa on glass & wood, Miniature painting on stone, from Jaipur, Rajasthan are some of the products that will be displayed.

The Dastkari Haat Samiti is a not-for-profit national association of craftspeople that works to increase awareness and respect for traditional artisan skills for the economic benefit of their practitioners. These 28 years old Samiti was founded by Ms Jaya Jaitly, a renowned social and political activist who has dedicated four decades of her life and career to crafts and innovating newer ways to sustain craft and its people. Its members come together on a common marketing platform for the development and sustenance of livelihoods. In the process they contribute towards the preservation of India’s invaluable cultural heritage.