DNA : mmrda plans a dilli haat at pen : Oct 29,2007
mmrda plans a dilli haat at pen
its newly-created think-tank deliberated the ideaof artisans village, will place it before state soon
chittaranjan tembhekar
after its recent initiatives to rework scenic and historic spots in mumbai metro region, the metropolitan administration has in principle decided to develop an artisan village on a sprawling 100 acre land in the hilly pen, a village near navi mumbai with picturesque surrounding and known for clay idols. the project will draw on the successful dilli haat project.
the mumbai metropolitan region development authority (mmrda) think-tank, comprising top officials and experts, on saturday discussed the idea at length with a view to putting the idea on paper for state government’s approval. this is going to be mmrda’s first major proposal for rural area within the metro region.
“it is premature to say anything concrete about how the village will look like, but it will surely reflect the tradition, culture, beauty and various art forms for tourists and will be a unique thing on international tourist map,” confirmed metropolitan commissioner ratnakar gaikwad soon after the meeting.
besides recreational facilities, it will have stalls to exhibit different handicrafts. according to gaikwad, the village will have conventionally built homes for sculptors and artisans who will reflect regional traditions and cultural spread across the state and different folk arts, besides exhibiting skills in clay modelling.
roughly, the artefacts, painting, metalware, stonework, woodwork, terracotta, jewellery, lac and glass work, leather ware, blue pottery, home decor items and traditional indian puppets might gain prime place in the village. regional cuisines, dances, dramas, fashion shows will also have place inside this rural haat. according to sources, delhi haat has helped artistans earn over rs300 crore over a period of last 13 years.
the concept is basically to promote artisans and craftsmen from the state by exhibiting their craft. “the idea is to do away with the middlemen who exploit them and help the craftsmen bring their works directly to the market,” said a senior mmrda official. in fact, the pen project has planned playing areas for children, recreational facilities for all age groups, exhibition halls, shops for regular and gift items. there will also be an amphitheatre.
elaborating on the dilli haat model, from where the pen project is drawing insipiration, the mmrda official revealed that there were 62 stalls, each for an artisan or a craftsman. every six months, the stalls would change hands with a different set of artisans from across the country to ensure equal opportunity to all aspiring exhibitors.
Publication : DNA; Section : mumbai; Pg : 4; Date : 29/10/07
URL : http://epaper.dnaindia.com/epapermain.aspx?edorsup=Main&queryed=9&querypage=4&boxid=30942254&parentid=50819&eddate=10/29/2007