Rush for paper bags in city

The paper and cloth bag manufacturing units in the district have suddenly become the cynosure of all eyes, thanks to the ban imposed by the government on plastic carry bags below 30 micron.

The paper manufacturing units run by Kudumbasree were almost in a sleepy stage till last week. The unavailability of a replacement for plastic bags created market for these carry bags which were just a fancy a few days ago.

‘‘A total of five manufacturing units are engaged in making paper and cloth carry bags in the city,’’ said Shaila Chako, community organiser of Kudumbasree. Among this, Jeev, Jaiv and Jeannie units at Palayam have been producing cloth bags for the past four years while ‘Dhanya’, the Kudumbasree unit near Krishnan Nair Road, and Sreelakshmi Kudumbasree unit at Chelavoor are also engaged in producing cloth bags,’’ she added. Each of these manufacturing units comprises ten female members.

The customers for these bags include hospitals, offices and even the vendors. ‘‘These Kudumbasree units supply 10,000 bags per month to a hospital in the city,’’ she added.

In order to meet the growing demand, Kudumbasree is also planning to start more units. ‘‘Two paper bag units will be set up at Thiruvannur and Kuttichira in a month,’’ she said.

A paper and a cloth manufacturing unit are also functioning under two Kudumbasree units at the Koyilandy municipality.

The other three paper bag manufacturing units include ‘Archana paper bag unit’ at Ramanattukara panchayat, ‘Udayam paper bag unit’ at Unnikulam panchayat and Freedom Kudumbasree unit at Perumanna.

Cloth bags are also manufactured at the Kudumbasree units at Chulliparamba, Kodambhuzha and Unnikulam panchayat.

Some colleges in the city had started paper bag making units under different clubs, but unfortunately very few are still active. One such unit, still active, is at the Malabar Christian College.

‘‘Our motto is to make students conscious about the environment and promote self-employment,’’ said Mary Gladays Pavamani, convener of the Ecoclub of the Malabar Christian College.

Students produce more than 300 paper bags a year. The bags made of newspapers are being sold at Nuthan Handicrafts at YMCA Road for Rs 1. Besides, there is good demand for bags among students and the faculty.

Indian village craft

Crafts of India, an exhibition of art and crafts from Indian villages is underway in Chennai. Intricately designed bead work hand bags, decorative wood panels called Katmandu from Kashmir, Sharanpur wood door curtains, partisans, corner tables, aladeen lamp, Hyderabad pearls, silver jewellery, bangles, navarathna one gram gold, panchaloga jewellery are among the display. Live portrait painting done in ten minutes by artists and a puppet show are a hit with visitors.

'Handicrafts can be defined as simple objects but even a small handmade doll carries a part of the creator as well as centuries of evolutionary tradition,' a craftsman from Uttar Pradesh said. 'Certain unique products like meenkari jewellery, a famous form of North Indian jewellery with the kundan technique have a huge market here'.

Handicraft store : Handicraft product, indian handicraft exporter and indian jewelry

India is known for its exquisite and rich source of traditional handloom textiles and handicrafts. Indian artisans, with their unique craftmanship, have made it possible to create an alcove for themselves in the international arena.

Today, Indian handicraft is the most sought after among westerners. Craftsmen from different states create fine artefacts. Bamboo work of Mizoram, Kashmiri shawls, kantha stitch of West Bengal, bandhni from Gujarat, paithani brocade of Maharashtra are quite well-known in the international market.

The grand display of fashion jewelry and accessories will take patrons by surprise with extremely low prices. The fashion jewelry exhibition brings together India’s leading exporters and suppliers of gems, fashion accessories, and bags.

There will be an exciting range of international products and services, leading names from the industry, new business opportunities, and an opportunity to make new contacts and gather information.

On display will be fashion jewelery, semi-precious jewelery, fashion accessories, hair accessories, bags and fancy shoes, belts and waistbands.

Another big attraction at the expo is the hand carved furniture that comes in sofa and dining rooms sets. Such everlasting pieces can add a unique touch to any decor. Available also are the shops marketing Indian musical instruments, such as harmonium, tabla, dholak, majeera and other instruments.

Customers are always fascinated by the vast quantities of Indian handicraft available at the expo. Shoppers can choose from house decorations to table centre-pieces and wall plaque that come in hundreds of designs.