Hoardings of the Gandhi Bunkar Mela are all over the township and you have till December 29 to check the fair out. The national handloom expo is anchored next to Arunachal Bhavan, in CE Block, opposite the BSNL office.
The fair is being organised by the Arunachal Pradesh handloom and handicrafts development society in collaboration with the state’s department of textile and handicraft. It has been sponsored by the development commissioner (handlooms), ministry of textile.
“The word bunkar implies weaver and has a strong connection with Gandhi, of course, as he hand-spun khadi,” said a spokesperson for the fair, adding that this was the first time they were holding it. “Out of the 80 stalls on the compound, half are from Arunachal Pradesh and the rest from other states.”
The fair is open from 11am to 9pm. There are stalls from states like Assam, Jharkhand and Bengal selling saris, carpets, cane furniture and handicrafts. Here’s a glimpse of what’s in store.
Arunachal Pradesh tourism
STALL: 7
What’s the connection between Arunachal tourism and Madhuri Dixit? There’s a famous lake there named after her! “Madhuri Dixit and Shah Rukh Khan filmed the song Tanhai tanhai from the 1997 film Koyla at this lake and since then the Shonga-tser lake in Tawang has come to be known as Madhuri lake among film buffs,” said Soumitra Chakraborty of the state’s tourism stall. They are luring visitors with mention of other scenic spots in the state and about tribes like the Apatanis whose women are famous for their large nose plugs and facial tattoos.
“The best time to visit Arunachal Pradesh is from March to May and from October to December, bypassing the rains and the winter,” said Chakraborty.
Picnic basket
STALL: 12
If winter is here can picnics be far behind? This stall has got sturdy and attractive picnic baskets from Arunachal Pradesh. “They are multi-purpose nylon rope baskets and the largest ones will hold weights of 10 to 12kg. They are water-proof and hardy,” said Amma Bagbi, adding that the baskets are flying off the shelves. “I sold more than 20 in the first four days.
Price: Rs 400 to 2,000
Pashmina shawls
STALL: 45
These weavers from Kashmir have brought machine-made shawls for Rs 5,000 as well as the finest hand-woven kani shawls that are priced close to Rs 2 lakh.
“It’s not about the money; we are here to display art,” says Wasim Hussain, adding that it takes the weavers two years to make a single such shawl. “The detailing must be done keeping the material extremely close to the eyes. This takes a toll on their eyesight and most of them have to retire by the age of 35.”
Since kani weavers themselves are a dwindling breed, Hussain says the shawls have become an investment. “After five or 10 years they become antique products and their prices go up by several lakhs,” he says of the shawls that were once coveted by the Mughals. The stall is giving a Geographical Indication (GI) tag certificate with a purchase to assure authenticity.
Price: Rs 1,95,000
Pickles and pithes
STALL: 13
In the season of pithe-pulis, you could bite into what looks like a pithe from our northeastern state. “This flat, long sweetmeat is made of rice and jaggery but isn’t as sweet as the ones you get in Bengal,” said Tome Dogi. “It comes wrapped in leaves, that give it an extra flavour.” She’s also selling proglukter, which is a traditional pickle made of chicken. “It’s made of dried bamboo shoots and isn’t too spicy. One can have it with rice, roti or as an accompaniment with wine, which is the most popular option back home.” Other stalls in the fair are also selling dried red chillies from Arunachal Pradesh. Price: Rs 15 and 30 for packets of pickle; Rs 30 for the sweetmeat.
Caps and mufflers
STALL: 39
This stall from Sikkim has brought various kinds of wollen caps and headbands, including colourful caps-and-muffler sets. “This is my first fair in Calcutta and so I haven’t got much ware. But our products are of the best quality and we are expecting good sale,” said Basanti Limboo, who’s busy knitting more caps.
Price: Rs 450 for cap-and-muffler sets
