Hasthakalaaramam Comes Alive in Tirupati

God's richest abode, the temple town of Tirupati might soon be known for something besides the golden temple situated atop the seven hills in southern Andhra Pradesh. In an effort to promote crafts in the state and the country, the state Tourism Department has recently opened a crafts village on the lines of the popular Shilparamam in Hyderabad.

About 40 thousand people visit the Sri Venkateshwara temple there daily, and in an effort to tap this tourist potential we decided to give a boost to the local arts and crafts, according to Kishan Rao, director Tourism Department.

The village, located on the road leading to Tiruchanur from Tirupati, draws on the success of the lone existing crafts village of Shilparamam, and is being modeled on the same. Though smaller than the Shilparamam, almost one-third of the area, the Hasthakalaramam is on the plains, unlike its rocky counterpart.

However, like the Shilparamam at Madhapur conceived seven years ago, Hasthakalaramam has been promoted as an urban haat to eliminate middlemen and put poor artisans in direct touch with art lovers and patrons. It aims at providing a canvas and promote culture, heritage, arts and crafts.

It aims at promoting under one roof, rather on village, theatre, crafts, music, dance and poetry, and connect them in such a way that each compliments the other. There are 42 stalls done in an ethnic way, basically terracota hutments in which the craftsmen on rotation display and sell their wares periodically.

The first week of its opening witnessed the organising of a Handicrafts fair, in which 120 artisans from across India participated. Cultural programmes were organised every evening, and so was a Rayalaseema Food Festival.

The response has been tremendous, claims the department. About 10,000 visitors at least daily visit the crafts village, which is averaging approximately Rs 56 lakhs worth sales in a week.

The crafts village, built within a record eight months with an investment of Rs 167 lakhs, 75 per cent of which was contributed by the government of India's Textile Ministry, and rest by the state government, also hosts traditional cultural nites, depicting folk arts from all parts of the state and the country, while a music and dance festival would be organised soon, adds Rao.