Bangalore Dastkar Bazaar 2025 will held in the city later this month

The Hindu

15-05-2025

Bangalore Dastkar Bazaar 2025 will feature crafts, workshops, cultural events and food. 'They are all aimed at celebrating culture, cuisines and crafts of India,' says Shelly Jain, Senior Director- Programmes Project and Personnel, Dastkar, over a call from Delhi.
Dastkar bazaar brings over 160 craft groups from across 25 states of India, with a mix of products, traditions and skills, including third-and fourth generation craftsmen and some award winning artisans.
Textiles will include cotton Jamdani, soof, aari, kantha, batik, bandhani, indigo block printing and more. 'We have also always been environmentally conscious, looking at promoting sustainable products, so there will be products made from natural materials like mat, cane, golden grass and sabai grass,' adds Shelly. There will also be crafts in bell metal, leather puppet, lacquer toys, gourd and wood carving, pottery.
The folk arts section will feature Pichwai, Pattachitra, Bhil, Gond, Kalighat, Tanjore, and Madhubani Painting, while patrons seeking organic products can look to stalls with millet snacks, essential oils, perfumery, flavoured teas and herbal beauty products.
The Purulia Chhau dance, a masked martial arts dance form from Jharkhand, will be presented on the weekend. Dastkar, was established in 1981, focussing on empowering traditional Indian craftspeople and crafts by bridging the gap between traditional rural artisans and contemporary urban consumers.
'We strive to strengthen and support them, act as consultants, trainers, designers, and resource providers to craft groups. We are bringing 20 new craft groups to Bengaluru this year including a lacquer bangle maker, who will demonstrate his work, and an embroidery group from Gujarat.'
An added attraction is Karvati saris on tussar, says Shelly. 'This craft from Maharashtra is on the verge of extinction. Craftsmen do not want their children to take to the craft due to livelihood challenges. The entire belt in Maharashtra refuses to encourage their youngsters or even pass on the knowledge of the crafts. We have started new projects with other group to keep the craft from going extinct.'
By encouraging designers to works with craft-persons on Karvati, Shelly says the hope is to create something appealing to people. 'With many people choosing not wear saris, the demand has gone down. Those who still wear saris or traditional clothes, the price of handloom is a deterrent.'
Crafts-people, Shelley says put in long hours of work to create a fabric. 'They too have a family to feed. Unless we work collectively and create a bridge, these aspects will always pose a challenge. The government should also take concrete steps in bettering these issues.'
Modernising tools and techniques and shortening the work process, Shelly believes might be the first steps to reviving the Karvati. 'Designers should collaborate with craftspeople to create modern garments that everyone would want to wear. We need to look at not just sustaining the crafts, but also how we can keep the craft-person's dream of giving their child an education.'
Children trained in the family crafts, end up giving up on formal education, Shelly says as they take to the family business at a tender age. 'Despite these challenges, I have noticed a growing interest in funky, modern designs in the crafts. We see this happening more in Delhi, while Bangaloreans veer towards the traditional as they are aware of its heritage. This is one reason why many crafts-people are keen to return to Bengaluru. This city embraces crafts and respects the artisans' works, which boosts the artisan's morale.'
The bazaar will include workshops in Madhubani, Gondh and clay modelling for children. 'We also have waste paper craft, which aims at teaching craftsmanship with sustainability. Though we have a free entry, we charge a token amount for the workshops.'
Shelly has been with Dastkar for over two decades. Though she had no inclination towards crafts, a chance encounter paved the way for her association with Dastkar. 'I learnt much by interacting with artisans on a daily basis, this made my problems look minimal. Talking to them and hearing about their struggles made me a good listener, and a solution-oriented person.'
With a national reach encompassing over 700 craft groups and small producers across 25 Indian states, Shelly says Dastkar achieves its missions through collaborative efforts with governmental, non-governmental, and foreign agencies, serving as an advisor, resource person, and incubator for craft groups.