Get crafty the Desi way

Check out Dastkar's Nature Bazaar with its range of ethnic clothes, chappals, jewellery and more. You'll be helping out a struggling industry and brightening up your life in the bargain

This year's edition of Dastkar's Nature Bazaar is bigger, better and just as colourful.u00a0
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Organised by the NGO, a society for crafts and craftspeople, it's on at Palace Grounds and easy to spot because of all the colourful things up for sale cane baskets, kurtis, sarees, shawls, ethnic jewellery, earthen pots and lots more.
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Spread over a bigger area this time around, Dastkar has stalls by skilful Indian artisans and craftsmen from states like Manipur, Kolkata, UP, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Text and pics/ Namita Gupta

What to expect?

From kurtis to funky, eco-friendly terracotta and beaded jewellery, colourful cloth and jute bags to chappals, the exhibition is every woman's dream come true. The bright sarees, kurtas and shawls are enough to lift your mood on a dreary day.

Some of the best buys here are the bright cloth or thread bangles and the multi-coloured chappals. And the cane baskets from Uttar Pradesh could light up your house.

Just for you

You can even customise your jewellery at a small stall, which weaves up small trinkets and beaded neckpieces and bracelets. Apart from clothes and accessories, there are handmade paintings and handcrafted artifacts on sale as well.

Another stall which beckons is the one selling homemade snacks like ragi biscuits, peanut podi, peanut laddoos, pickles etc. I picked up a pack of ragi biscuits for Rs 30, which wasn't too sweet and I ate it all, telling myself it was healthy, after all.

"I like the kurtis here, which are in the range of Rs 400 to Rs 500 and look like designer ones. Today, I'm just browsing and plan to come back with friends to finalise on a whole lot of things I've selected," said Sheela Naik, a shopper.
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Going by the crowds, however brand conscious we Indians may have become over the years, we still love our desi stuff.

On till: Till August 16, 2009.
At: Palace Grounds, Gayatri Vihar entrance.
Wallet factor: Rs 99 onwards

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