Sri Lanka’s handicraft heritage at ‘Shilpa 2013’
The National Handicraft Festival and Trade Fair ‘Shilpa 2013’, the biggest crafts exhibition in Sri Lanka was held for the ninth consecutive year from August 15 to August 19. It was declared open by the Minister of Economic Development, Basil Rajapaksa on Thursday August 15, at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre.
Minister Basil Rajapaksa at ‘Shilpa 2013’. Pix by Nilan Maligaspe
The opening ceremony was made very colourful by processions of traditional dancers, Eastern bands and many other cultural displays. Shilpa 2013, displayed around 1,500 high quality products filtered from provincial and district competitions. The exhibition mainly featured market-oriented new designs.
Craftsmen from all over Sri Lanka showcased the proud handicraft heritage of Sri Lanka. There were around 130 stalls with more than one thousand exhibition stalls to give the experience of indigenous creations under one roof. The only State-owned gift and souvenir boutique, Sri Lanka Handicrafts Board- Laksala was the main sponsor of the event organised by the National Crafts Council under the Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Ministry.
The public response was heartening for the craftsmen and the participation of enthusiastic buyers throughout indicated the success of this festival in creating a platform for talented craft artisans in rural Sri Lanka to introduce their work to local as well as global buyers and to recognise the best in the industry.
comments powered by Disqus