Store Tour - Pooja Craft Fair

Good things come from the most unexpected quarters. I learnt this when I checked out a small shop which I pass by almost every day and also the same shop where I got my terracotta urli from. Terracotta Ganeshas are quite the rage nowadays and this place has a huge collection of Ganeshas in all shapes and sizes and poses. My favourite is the Ganesha in the gondola :D. Another favourite is a “magic lamp” which the owner will be more than happy to demonstrate. Apart from Ganeshas, the shop also has lot of terracotta figurines of gods and goddesses. There are also terracotta dolls depicting people from different occupations like vegetable vendor, iron smith, carpenter etc along with dolls of birds and animals. The precision and the detailing of the work are amazing and so are the innovative stances in which Ganesha has been molded. These are ideal for bombe habba/bommala koluvu (the doll festival during Navaratri in South India). They also seem like a good option for return gifts or wedding favours especially the Ganeshas. And the cost is lesser than those available in malls/online though bargaining is not at all entertained. I have seen these kinds of clay dolls in Jayanagar BDA complex as well but the quality and finishing is not as good as these. The owner tells me that they have a workshop near Hebbal where they create these dolls with the help of local artists who design them. The diversity and range of Indian handicrafts is mindboggling and needs our support to reach its full potential. A recently concluded handicraft fair generated business enquiries worth Rs.2500 crore (read article here).  It is good to see such trade fairs happening for promoting the Indian handicraft sector. The government seems to be waking up to the need to tap into this sector by bringing it back into limelight. We should also do our bit in promoting and supporting the artists of India :)

Where - Right opposite Ragi Gudda Temple, JP Nagar, third shop on the left

Terracotta Ganeshas (the gondola one is too cute :))

Note the details, so realistic

Loved the Rabindranath Tagore plaque

All shapes and sizes

 My favourites - the magic lamp and the boatman :)

Psst...another vendor in the same shop has the cutest of ethnic wear for kids. Damn cute :)

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Street Steal - Terracotta Urli

Store Tour - Asiatic Arts and Crafts

Street Steal - Terracotta Urli

              I have been on the lookout for an urli since I saw them at someone's place. I fancied putting flowers or floating diyas in them near the entrance of my home especially during festivals like Deepawali. I found the perfect one when my Mom and I were killing some time at Central mall in JP Nagar. It was in bronze and just the right size. Only hitch, it was 20k! I never knew bronze was so expensive. Anyway I found a cheaper alternative recently and I like it better (obviously :P)

And here is how I displayed it in my home. I had got this beautiful diya in my wedding (thank you Swetha :)) and it goes perfectly with my terracotta urli (yay :)). And please indulge my deluge of photos :P. What to do I like all of them :D

Where to find it - Right opposite to Raagi Gudda Temple, JP Nagar, third shop on the left side.

How much? - 200 bucks for the biggest one.