BySiddhi Jain

September 19, 2019 (IANSlife) Triveni Kala Sangam, one of the most-visited art hubs in the heart of New Delhi, will host the fifth edition of ‘Terrafest’, the week-long festival of terracotta products and earthenware from October 11 to 16.

‘Terrafest’, organised by Delhi Blue Pottery Trust, will bring together 21 of the finest terracotta artisans from Manipur, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Delhi.

“Faced with competition from plastic and metal ware, terracotta is fighting for survival. Traditional artisans are finding it more and more difficult to live above subsistence level. Some have managed to take the help of design development programmes, and are producing works of extraordinary beauty.
“However, neither the money nor the recognition comes close to balancing the hard work, and expertise that goes into the making of the products. It is not surprising that the younger generation, inheritors of this vast knowledge and almost intuitive skills are discouraged and are reluctant to take up the mantle,” Delhi Blue Pottery Trust said in a statement.

In this bleak scenario, Terrafest comes as a nudge to a new generation of artisans not to give up their traditional skill by offering them a commercially viable marketplace. 

Terrafest 2019
Venue: Triveni Kala Sangam, 205 Tansen Marg, New Delhi
Dates: October 11-16
Timings: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily

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Editing by Ritu Pandey and N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe