Hyderabad: BC welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Sunday announced that a state-level artisan exhibition and fair will be held at the HMDA Grounds (near BR Ambedkar statue) in the city from July 16 in connection with the Ashada Bonalu festival.The fair, to be organised by the rural development department and SERP, would provide artisans from traditional occupations across the state an opportunity to directly market their products.It would feature a wide range of Bonalu-related items, including clay Bonams, lamps, bamboo products, brass and copper vessels, puja material, flower decorations, bangles, pothuraju accessories, traditional musical instruments and wooden puja articles.The minister said artisans belonging to communities such as potters, blacksmiths, carpenters, Vishwabrahmins, Padmashali weavers, goldsmiths, stone sculptors, basket makers and leather workers would participate in the fair.More stalls have been arranged this year to accommodate a large number of artisans. Stating that the Bonalu festival provides livelihoods to thousands of traditional craftsmen, Ponnam Prabhakar said the exhibition aims to boost artisans’ incomes, preserve Telangana’s rich handicraft heritage and encourage younger generations to take up traditional vocations.He appealed to the lakhs of devotees visiting Hyderabad for the Bonalu festivities to visit the exhibition and support artisans by purchasing handmade products, saying every buy would strengthen an artisan’s livelihood and help preserve Telangana’s cultural traditions.Earlier, he along with minorities welfare minister Mohammed Azharuddin and AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi participated in the distribution of 2-BHK house pattas to 361 beneficiaries at Hyderabad district collectorate.
