Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Live
TO SAVE THE DYING CRAFT
Uttar Pradesh Tourism recently organised Dastaan-e-Dastakari– The Legend of Craft-a screening and discussion at a city hotel.
The event was organised in association with Kotwara Studios, Rumi Foundation and National HRD Network. The event aimed to attract government and public attention towards the neglected state of handicrafts in UP and to build a dialogue around how to make handicrafts a thriving and self-sustainable business model. Dastaan-e-Dastkari is a series of two short films made by film maker Muzaffar Ali and sponsored by UP Tourism, revolving around chikan and zardozi work of Lucknow along with weaving of Benaras. Speaking on the occasion, chief guest, cabinet minister Dr Rita Bahugna Joshi said that handicrafts and tourism should ideally go hand in hand especially in a state like Uttar Pradesh and has high potential for both tourism as well as craftsmanship. The screening of the movies was followed by a panel discussion which saw several known speakers take over the stage. The panel included Zohra Chatterjee (former secretary textiles), Awanish Awasthi (principal secretary & DG tourism), Bhuwanesh Kumar (secretary Vocational Education & Skill Development), Muzaffar Ali and designer Meera Ali. The discussion was moderated by Kiron Chopra (former president CII UP). Also present on the occasion was Prabhas, master weaver and designer of Benarsi Sarees. NHRD, president Kumar Lalit and convener Rumi Foundation, MA Khan.