Visitors at the fair at Town Hall in Ranchi on Friday. Picture by Manik Bose

Ranchi, Oct. 2: It was a perfect blend of tradition and modernity at the six-day ongoing handloom fair in Town Hall. Around 20 skilled artisans from across the state came together to popularise craftsmanship.

Mostly done by women, the shirts, bed sheets, shawls, stoles, carpets, dokra items, lac bangles, tribal jewellery, paper mache showpieces, bamboo products reflected an artful India where fine designs and deft work came together to create magnificence.

Organised by the state industry department, the fair had around 50 kiosks. The weavers and artisans were trained by fashion designers from NIFT and NID roped in by the department.

Shefali Kongari, the marketing manager of Jharcraft, said that eight designers of NIFT and NID were regularly training the artisans and giving them tips on how to improvise on the designs.

Md Ismail Ansari, a weaver, conceded that the two months training had helped him to compete in the market. “We have designer bed sheets, shirts and stoles in cotton, silk and polyester,” he said.

A woman entrepreneur, Shanti Tirkey, who is into designing wood handicrafts for past eight years, said that the state was providing them financial aid. “We can take a loan of Rs 2 lakh and start our own business. Besides the state has also provided weavers identity card,” Tirkey added.

Other major attractions at the fair were the decorative items of Kalamandir, spices and vermi compost by Krishi Gram Vikas Kendra.

Pocket pinch: Items ranges from Rs 20 to Rs 700 depending on the quality and design.