Lakshmi Kumari displays handkerchiefs at the exhibition. Pix: Hardeep Singh

Ranchi, Nov. 12: For Lakshmi Kumari, making craft items is not natural. Neither the paintings this 26-year-old girl have exhibited over the years carry the usual brush strokes.

The absence of hands has not been a deterrent for Lakshmi — an honours graduate in philosophy — who has won accolades as well as prizes for her creative abilities using a pair of legs.

Handkerchiefs, jewellery and decorative flowers made by Lakshmi drew the maximum attention at “Disabled Talent Exhibition” at ILCC today.

Organised by the Centre For Education and sponsored by State Bank of India, the exhibition witnessed participation of students from Madhur Muskan, St Michael’s School for Blind, Uddhar, Cheshire Home, Srijan and Guru Nanak Home for Handicapped Children.

At present, Lakshmi, an alumna of Karamchand College, Bero, is teaching physically-challenged children at Guru Nanak Home for Handicapped Children where she is staying for the past one year. “When I showed my desire to study, my parents asked me how will I write? Having realised that without writing no one can study, I took a pencil and started scribbling on a piece of paper. Slowly, with help from my siblings, I learnt both Hindi and English alphabets,” reminisces Lakshmi, who did her matriculation from St Maria Balikka Vidyalaya.

She added that when she expressed her desire to study in school, even the principal refused her admission. “I told him I could write. He was impressed when I showed my writing with leg. Thereafter there was no looking back,” Lakshmi said proudly.

At her present school, Lakshmi spends time teaching children and wants to participate in such contests. “She was spotted by the director of our school when she appeared on the TV during an exhibition,” said school in-charge, B.N Mishra.