The 57th Indian Handicraft Gift Fair (IHGF) AUTUMN-2023, which kicked off last week, has witnessed an overwhelming response from international customers, who are captivated by the exquisite and intricate art and craft forms of Kashmir. This exhibition is a concerted effort to promote Kashmiri handicrafts globally and showcase the diverse craftsmanship of Kashmir, providing a significant opportunity for their revival on the international stage.
The exhibition is being organised under the patronage of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
The exhibition which garners an effort to promote Kashmiri handicrafts globally, showcases diverse craftsmanship of Kashmir to augment the art at international markets, pulling off an opportunity for its revival at the international level.
Javed Ahmad Tenga, President of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI), spoke to Rising Kashmir about the event, highlighting its importance in promoting Kashmir’s rich heritage and artistry comprehensively. The live demonstrations of craftsmanship by artisans, showcasing their unparalleled skills to create various handcrafted items, have become a major attraction at the fair.
“Our handicraft sector has witnessed a major setback in the past few years. We are in a process to revive our unique and culturally rich art and craft which fetches us a global recognition . By participating in this fair we are optimistic that it will provide a push to our handicrafts at the international stage”, KCCI president Javed Ahmad Tenga said.
The fair pertains to exploring opportunities to reach out to international markets where exporters from all over India and international customers are thronging.
“ We are showcasing a mix of all forms of Kashmiri handicrafts which include Paper Mache, Kashmiri carpets, Crewel works , Kashmiri shawls with different forms of embroidery. Today only, a group of visitors from Austria visited our stalls and they gave sampling, ordered a few items. Similarly our carpets are in demand , a group of German visitors have been visiting carpet stalls and buying the products’ ‘, Javed Ahmad said.
Adding, “ The exhibition has just started. It will go on till October 16. We have received a good response towards our showcased products. This platform is a grand opportunity for the handicraft sector to promote the trade. We are very thankful to the government for providing us an opportunity to participate in this fair which is definitely going to give a boost to our handicraft sector.”
The fair sets a stage of an opportunity for the visitors to explore diverse forms of art and craft from different places under one roof. Exporters from all over india are participating in the fair to showcase their own arts individually.
“We are hopeful that something good will come up for us from this exhibition.”
He said that KCCI was eyeing on more international exhibitions in near future while proposals have already been submitted to the govt of India in this regard.
