The ethnic never fails to impress

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It does not really matter that the wares are familiar to regulars at handicrafts exhibitions; the charm of the ethnic never fails to impress. The exhibition organised by the Rajasthani Emporium at Jawahar Balbhavan has the usual, but unfailing, ensemble of handloom clothes, handcrafted artifacts, and timeless jewellery made of precious and semi-precious stones. The ‘kurtas’ and ‘kurtis’ are just right for those on the lookout for daily wear in light cotton material. At  Rs 250, one cannot ask for a cheaper bargain for the flattering prints and dainty cuts. The men’s ‘kurta’ in Jaipur cotton with stripes and traditional patterns also start at the same prices. The kids’ wear collection is also impressive with beautifully-embroidered ‘chaniya choli’ for girls and boys. The ‘sherwani’ in paper silk for boys is light enough to keep the tiny tots comfortable, while also charmingly elegant to make little princes of your naughty ones. The bedsheets come at different price ranges according to varying quality. The single bedsheets can be bought at Rs 180, Rs 250 and Rs 320 and those in the last bracket make a fair deal with their fine fabric, pleasing designs and colour fastness. The double bedsheets come with two pillow covers each. Kalamakari prints, zebra prints, and ‘chikku’ prints adorn the sheets and pillow covers. Embossing works give a new look to sofa backs and cushion covers.   The jewellery section is quite elaborate, with neck pieces and earrings adorned with combinations of semi-precious stones, American diamonds and pearls. The tiny crystals from Jaipur stringed into a multi-coloured chain and tagged at Rs 6,000 is easily the queen among the ornaments on display. Neither is the trendy chain made  of Taiwan coral much behind.‘Churidhar’ materials in pure cotton are available from Rs 500 onwards. Materials and blouse pieces with ‘kanta’ work, tie-and-dye sets etc are also available.  The Orissa ‘patta chitra’ art done on palm leaves is another major attraction. The engravings which narrate stories of Dasavathara and embedded with a second layer which depict images of Khajuraho art take months to be completed. The intricately-done ‘rasleela’ engraving which took master craftsman Sooryanarayan Sathpathi seven months of working with magnifying glass, is the star attraction of the collection on display.