The 7th edition of the Sargaalaya International Arts and Crafts Festival (SIACF) will kick off at Sargaalaya Arts and Crafts Village at Iringal on December 21. Minister for Ports, Museums and Archaeology Kadakampally Surendran will inaugurate the festival at 6.30 p.m. on Thursday. A salient feature of the festival this year is the thematic stalls on traditional handicrafts of Kerala with demonstration of artisans. The handicrafts villages to be featured are Aranmula, Thazhava, Cherpu, Aruvakkode, Vellinezhi, Kunhimangalam and Peruvambu. Peruvambu also finds place in the Kerala handloom street that showcases the rich handloom heritage of the State. The other villages to be featured in this category are Balaramapuram, Chennamangalam, Koothampulli and Kadalayi. Cherthala, known for its coir heritage, will also be highlighted.
P.P. Bhaskaran, Chief Executive Officer of Sargaalaya, said that around 200 artisans from 25 States in the country, besides foreign countries, are expected to take part in the festival. He said that 188 makeshift huts had been set up for the stalls. For the first time, craftsmen from five foreign countries will take part in the festival. The team from Uganda, which stole many hearts in the previous edition, will participate in the event. There will also be craft stalls representing Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa and Egypt.
The ‘Kalari Gramam’ that has been a part of the SIACF in its previous editions will be presented in a more elaborate manner this year. A food festival featuring traditional food items from different parts of the country will be another attraction of the festival.
Towards problem-free parking
As parking was a major issue at the crafts village in the previous years, organisers are taking steps to ensure problem-free parking for those who visit the festival. “We have arranged six additional parking spaces, five outside the village and one inside”, Mr. Bhaskaran said.
Cultural programmes by traditional artistes from 10 different States will be an added attraction at the festival that will conclude on January 8.
