[1]The state government and the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology, Kannur, have jointly organised an exhibition of handloom products from Ernakulam, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur districts at Ernakulam Town Hall.
The exhibition is part of a major campaign to build region-wise brand names for handloom products in the state in order to increase their visibility and market presence. The exhibition was inaugurated by excise minister K. Babu on Saturday.
Developing regional brands in handloom industry aims to highlight the diverse tradition and culture of different regions in the state.
The government has registered six regions in the state – Kasargode, Kannur, Palakkad, Kutta-mpully (Thrissur), Chend-amangalam (Ernakulam), and Balaramapuram (Thiruvananthapuram).
The exhibition at Town Hall, showcasing handloom products from different regions attracts many visitors.
However, the exhibition has been organised to create awareness on the rich diversity of handloom and the products are not for sale.
“We aim at promoting the varied cultural cues of handloom products from different regions in the state. When it comes to marketing, quality of the product is given more importance than the price,” said Chandran, member of the organising team of the exhibition.
Products showcased in the exhibition include sarees, bath towels, bed sheets, dhotis and cushions. Furnishing items are the main attraction of the Kannur handlooms.
Designs of Kannur handloom products are mainly based on art forms like Theyyam. The specialty of Kasargode sarees is its checkered designs.
Products from Palakkad region mainly consist of dhotis with varied borders and different colour combinations.
The patterns used in designing sarees from Palakkad region have been taken from the Nilambur teak museum and the famous Vishwanatha temple. Whereas, sarees from Balaramapuram have designs inspired from the Padmanabhapuram Palace.
Links:
[1] http://103.241.136.51/17-k-exhibition-3jpgcropdisplayjpg-095