Sri Lanka’s best crafts-persons recognised at awards ceremony
View(s):Sri Lanka’s best crafts-persons in 19 craft clusters and 54 craft sub clusters have been recognized, motivated, encouraged and honoured through the Shilpa national awards programme through the Ministry of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development.
They were recognized at the 2014 National Awards Programme for Craftsmen held on Tuesday at the BMICH with President Mahinda Rajapakse as the chief guest.
Picture shows the President handing over one of the awards.
There were 334 award winners of which two are gold awards (one from Matara; wood based – Lord Buddha arriving at Nagadeepa; and one from Badulla; contemporary craft- national Bird), 13 silver awards winners (four-Galle; Caved mask, Batik, Lace, Painting and sculpture) two- Kandy (Metal based, wood based); one – Matale (Lacquer and sesath) ; one-Kurunegala (coconut, Kithul, tala-based product); one- Matara (Leaves and grass based product) ; one-Gampaha (musical instrument); one-Ratnapura (stone based) ; one- Moneragala (cane and bamboo); one-Colombo (Miscellaneous), 37 first places, 39 second places, 47 third places and 196 merits.
A ministry media release said in the Northern and the Eastern provinces 15 craftsmen received national awards covering various sectors such as Palmyrah leave based products, wood, metal and stone based products and coir based product, etc. The national awards recognizes the excellence in various craft sectors.
Every year the ministry with the National Crafts Council (NCC) recognizes, motivates and provide awards, certificates and cash prices to over 300 craftsmen at the national level. At the provincial level on an annual basis over 1,500 craftsmen are recognized and given awards to encourage and motivate.
The ministry with the NCC and the National Design Centre has developed 12 traditional handicraft villages. These craft villages are Neelawela Jewellery village and Kuragala Musical instrument village in Kandy district; Unaweruwa sesath village and Pahalahapuvita Lacquer village in Matale District; Mawgama mask village in Kalutara District, Bope Poddala wood carving village in Galle District; Hitthetiya musical instrument village, Kapparantota bobbin lace village and Dodampahala coir village in Matara District; Katupotha clay village in Anuradhapura District, Thalankuda palm leaf handicraft village in Batticaloa District and Masiyappitti palm leaf handicraft village in Jaffna District. These villages have been given technology transfer and training and the market oriented new designs with product development specially to develop souvenir items and gift items and products to reflect ancient historical, cultural and social locations.
“Moreover, in 2014, the ministry is supporting 17 traditional handicraft villages in 12 districts namely Puttalam, Kandy, Gampaha, Matara, Jaffna, Polonnaruwa, Kurunegala, Trincomalee, Ampara, Baticaloa, Kilinochchi and Kalutara. A total of Rs.110 million was allocated in the medium term budget framework for development of traditional handicraft villages,” the release said.