The ongoing Buyer-Seller Meet
on ‘Handicrafts of Bihar’ in
Gyan Bhawan, Patna; under aegis of Upendra Maharathi Shilp Anusandhan Sansthan
(UMSAS), from September 26 to 30, 2018; has opened new vistas for artisans of
Bihar who are representing various craft clusters of Bihar and they
include Madhubani Painting, Sikki Craft, Sujani, Applique-Kasida, Wood Craft,
Stone Craft, Manjusha Painting, Tikuli, Bamboo, Jute, Metal Craft, Block
printing among others. There is representation from the Carpet Cluster of
Kaimur also.
[BUYER-SELLER STALLS]
All the artisans from
different crafts have opened the stalls in the Buyer-Seller Meet and are
having direct interaction with Buyers, who have come from various towns and
cities of India, representing diverse handicrafts of Bihar. But the most
significant aspect of the Buyer-Seller Meet is the prominence of “Women Artists
cum Entrepreneurs in Handicrafts”, who are dominating the whole
show with their skill, business sense and mobility.
The current Buyer-Seller Meet
is part of the IDPH (Integrated Development and Promotion of Handicrafts)
Scheme under DC Handicrafts (Government of India) and is being implemented by
UMSAS consisting of 11 crafts spread in 15 craft-clusters across 10 districts of
Bihar. Incidentally, this scheme has created an opportunity for the empowerment
of women (like Madhubani Painting, Sikki, Sujani, Applique, Manjusha) and for
the emancipation of the artisans (Stone, Wood craft), who are also hailing from
the down-trodden section of the society. Most of the stalls represented the
Self-Help-Group of respective craft-wise clusters.
The women entrepreneurs of
Madhubani Painting have come all the way from villages of Jitwarpur, Ranti
(both are hub of the painting near the Madhubani town) and Darbhanga Town and they
represent five stalls. Some of the names
include Veena Dutta, Rani Dutta, Bindu Jha among others.
[ALL MADHUBANI PAINTINGS]
The Sikki artists of Madhubani are representing from all the prominent town and villages of Rampur, Raiyam and Madhepur across blocks of Pandaul, Jhanjharpur and Madhepur and they are Munni Devi, Sudhira Devi, Rama Devi (all Raiyam) and Renu Devi (Madhepur) among others.
Sujani clusters of Bhusra
(Gayaghat of Muzaffarpur) is represented by Sanju Devi and Pinki Bhusra women are
represented by two stalls. Whereas, Sujni Cluster of Danapur, Patna is
represented with three stalls under the able guidance of Mala Gupta along with
Rekha Devi and Asha Devi respectively.
The Applique-Kasida cluster of
Arrah have been represented by a stall of Ruma Verma and associated by Chandrakanti
Devi, Neelam Bharti and Kajal Srivastava. Rashmi of Patna is also having a
stall in the meet.
Smt. Ulupi Jha and Anjana
Kumari from Bhagalpur are also representing their stalls on Manjusha Painting. Similarly,
Gitanjali and others are also busy with their special innovations in Tikuli
Painting. There are five Tikuli Stalls and all are manned by women.
Divya Rani Singh of Patna, the
leading entrepreneur in Jute craft has also opened a stall here. The Block
Printing expert Sunita Prakash of Patna, another leading name is also busy with
her innovation. Rambha Jha, another upcoming entrepreneur has also attracted
the attention of Buyers from the outside state.
Most
of the lady entrepreneurs are masters in their own trade as most of them are
state awardees or have represented Bihar in various workshops, seminars, trade
fairs, and Melas of India and abroad. During the Base Line Survey conducted on
November 27 & 28; 2018 at Raiyam village of Madhubani, I had found that
more than five ladies had gone out of the village to train others on Sikki Art
and they include: - Indrakala Devi, Radha Devi, Munni Devi, Sudhira Devi, Runa
Devi, Sudha Devi, Sushila Devi respectively. Raiyam lady artists have become
brand ambassadors of Sikki Art in the State and beyond.
It is
not only the Sikki lady artists but “Women Artisans of various crafts have emerged as the Cultural
Ambassadors of Bihar”.
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