Lucknow, Jul 4 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh Institute of Design and Research is trying to give a global identity to artefacts from the state, with some of them presented as special gifts by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to world leaders at the recent G7 summit.
Set up in 2017, the UPIDR under the MSME Department is organising training sessions for local artisans from time-to-time to help them make their products internationally attractive.
Prime Minister had presented a Gulabi Meenakari brooch and cufflink, a specialisation of Varanasi, to US President Joe Biden, platinum-painted tea set of Bulandshar to his counterpart from Britain and a “Metal Marodi Matka”, a masterpiece from Moradabad, to the German chancellor.
The state government has been promoting these items under its ambitious one district, one product programme.
The UPIDR is playing an important role in creating a “handicraft handloom ecosystem and blockchain”, its chairperson Kshipra Shukla told PTI.
As part of its initiative for development and sustenance of UP’s craft heritage, the institute has given design training to almost 600 girls in Gulabi Meenakari at Varanasi by now, Shukla said.
“Our focus is to recreate traditional products into quality contemporary ones to increase their demand. A close connect with the artisans and new design thinking changed the look and feel of products,” she said.
“By gifting handicraft items consistently to the foreign dignitaries, the PM has not only been vocal for it but he has certainly increased the craze for Indian handicraft and handloom in the global market,” the UPIDR chairperson said expressing gratitude to the PM.
She said many artisans have taken up new ways of making products.
Sohit Prajapati from Azamgarh transformed his terracotta products by giving modern shapes. He shifted to the Moroccan and geometric designs, she said.
Rajan Prajapati From Gorakhpur was making just the old-fashioned horse and elephant figurines. The design intervention motivated him to make clay tiles, oil dispensers and snack service plates.
The tribal Moonj products of Lakhimpur were transformed from traditional baskets. Now, beautiful laundry bags, bed and bath accessory and vases are being made.
Chikankari and Zari Zardozi artisans were making sarees, kurtas but with the UPIDR design intervention, they are making corporate gift items, bookmarks, tea coasters, trays and wall panels, Shukla said.
In its journey since 2017 to the date, the UPIDR has conducted hundreds of workshops and trained thousands of artisans/weavers in almost 45 districts of UP, Shukla said. PTI SNS RDK
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