The Lepakshi Bazaar-2016 began on Friday organised by the Andhra Pradesh Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited, is supported by Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, apart from block-printed Kalamkari saris taking a new avatar, a line of hand-woven saris in a variety of textures were greeted at the fair.

Adding a new variation to Kalamkari handloom weaves, the saris come with a combination of 80 percent cotton and 20 percent silk. The drape not only looks classy but also impresses one with its wrinkle-free quality.

With 100 stalls dotting all along the venue, shoppers can browse through a variety of handcrafted products sourced from different parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.

Some of the stalls display khadi shirts, fabrics and Lucknowi Chikankari kurtas for men. Silk kurtas for children, jute bags, and exclusive thread-work saris form a part of the display.

Those who came to exhibit their wares said that the art forms like carving Kondapalli toys have been witnessing a downward trend.

D. Verma, a craftsman from Kondapalli said that this is because it takes months to create a hand-carved product for them. However, the business is not fetching much. In addition to this, the next generation is not showing any interest in carrying the tradition forward.

After inaugurating the fair along with Executive Officer of Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi temple S.J. Madhavi, manager of Lepakshi Handicrafts Emporium K. Nagaraj said that the platform is meant to strengthen the livelihood of the weavers and artisans, provide a direct marketing channel to buyers and restore the diminishing art forms.

The Lepakshi exhibition will be run at TTD Kalyanamandapam till January 31.