Mangaluru: Urban Haat and the national handicraft bazaar are the new attractions at Pilikula. After drawing hundreds of people to the zoo, Science Centre, Heritage Village and Herbarium, the Haat is the new feather in the hat of Pilikula.
Urban Haat in Mangaluru is the second one in the state after Mysuru and will be open for exhibiting handicrafts of artisans. It was inaugurated on March 25. It is housed in a cluster of nine buildings where artisans from across the country would exhibit and sell their products.
“After Bengaluru, Mangaluru is a good market for handicrafts. People here love such handicrafts. The buying capacity of Mangalureans is good,” Handicraft Promotion Officer Jacob D’Souza told DC.
“The objective is to provide a platform to artisans and craftpersons with entrepreneurial skills to exhibit, demonstrate and sell their products. Consumers too would be benefitted as they can buy directly from artisans without relying on middlemen. Stalls and residential facilities are entirely free here for artisans,” he said.
Mr D’Souza said that it was proposed to have an Urban Haat in Mangaluru after considering the response of people to exhibitions organised by various state handicraft corporations over the years.
The Ministry of Textiles provided Rs 2.10 crore to construct the Haat spread over 2 acres of land provided by Pilikula. A sum of Rs 90 lakh was spent by Industry and Commerce department of Karnataka.
“We want to have exhibitions throughout the year at Pilikula. People should have a feeling that they would get handicraft material at Pilikula Urban Haat. It should be developed as a brand,” he added.
The first event at this Urban Haat is the National Level Craft Bazaar. Over 80 stalls from 8 states are participating in the 10-day Craft Bazaar.
