While the government run-Art and Craft Village at Murungapakkam has found a place in the tourist itinerary in Puducherry and sustains the livelihood of local artisans, the demand for products at the village is gradually gaining more traction outside the Union Territory as well, with government agencies from various States placing bulk orders for thematic art work to beautify public places.
Established in a serene environment on the outskirts of the town, off the Cuddalore Road, the Village houses, under one roof, a range of unique craft items produced by local artisans and affords an opportunity for visitors to get hands-on experience into the intricacies of craft making.
The Wildlife Art Gallery at the Art and Craft Village | Photo Credit: S.S. Kumar
More than 20 local artisans, including noted terracotta artisan and Padma awardee V. K Munusamy, operate out of the Village, offering an array of items such as paper lamp shades, coconut crafts, leather crafts, designed mats and jute bags, scented candles, Tanjore painting, seashell craft, stone work crafts, hammocks as well as palm leaf and terracotta items.
Another attraction, particularly for children, is the Wildlife Art Gallery displaying statues of animals carved out of single stones, and paintings on plywood. One of the prominent visitors to the Village was President Droupadi Murmu.
A child from Gujarat trying her hand at pottery | Photo Credit: S.S. Kumar
“The Village is slowly emerging as a prime tourist destination in Puducherry. Around 500 tourists visit the place daily, and on holidays and weekends the footfall goes up to around 2,000. Also, there is the large number of students and interns who visit for educational purpose. The artisans are also doing well in earnings,” said S. Bhaskar, Tourism Manager, Puducherry Department of Tourism.
Exposure for artisans
It is not just the on-the-spot sales that are making the artisans happy, but the exposure they get within and outside the country which is also valuable, they say.
P. Mary Theresa, a resident of Nellithope, had undergone training in palm leaf craft, offered by the District Industries Centre. “When I was looking for a place to make and sell the products, the stall at the Craft Village was handy. Now, I make a minimum of ₹15,000 per month from the sale of eco-friendly items. People who visit the stall also place orders with me,’‘ she said.
Papier-mâché artist, R. Sivaperumal, in the adjacent stall, said a German visitor had bought a few items during her visit to the Village. “Soon after she went back, she placed an order for about 60 boxes. We are getting good exposure to overseas clients, and this helps improve our livelihoods”.
Mr. Bhaskar said government agencies of States such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir have bought thematic products of artisans here, particularly to create awareness among students about the environment and traffic.
Products made out of a variety of materials are available at the Arts and Crafts Village | Photo Credit: Kumar S. S.
“Our products are already featured in several parks of various State governments. Recently, a bulk order has come from Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh for products made of fibre, ferro cement and metal, to install in traffic islands.,” said Mr Baskar.
Boating temporarily suspended
Many visitors who visit the village, also take the mangrove trail boat ride from the Craft Village to the Thengaithittu mangroves. However, the boat ride has been temporarily suspended at present.
“We have temporarily suspended the boat ride. The government is working on to revive boating, as there is huge demand for the ride through the mangroves,” said Mr Bhaskar.
Major plans ahead
Minister for Public Works K. Lakshminarayanan, who also holds the Tourism portfolio, said the government has a clear roadmap in making the Craft Village a prime tourist destination. Around 20 acres of land was acquired for the village, he said adding that the government plans to utilise the unused parts for tourism promotion activities, including a digital museum. There are also plans to make boating more interesting. “We are planning to carry out desilting in certain areas of the backwaters,” he said.
The fifteen cottages constructed inside the Village that display aspects of Franco-Tamil culture would be operated soon by a private player, he said. The government has also proposed constructing 40 huts to accommodate artists of different States, a children’s park for recreation, more camps for artists, and a training centre for traditional games.
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