Arun Jaitley, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi inaugurate 'Hunar Haat'

New Delhi [India], Jan 13 (ANI): Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday inaugurated "Hunar Haat" at the State Emporia Complex.
Speaking to the media about the event, Jaitley said, "People of this country are extremely talented. Artisans and craftsmen from minority community are ingenious in making world-class products. Branding and marketing of this talent is very essential for their financial benefit."
This is the 10th event led by Naqvi, and it is he who gave the name 'Hunar.' "Cuisine masters from different states will also get a platform to showcase their talent. Our PM has constructed a highway of development in which 'hunar haat' will play an important role," he said.
Indigenous exquisite pieces of handicrafts and handlooms are available for display and sale at 'Hunar haat.'
Speaking to ANI, Shahbaz Ali, CMDA of national minority development and finance cooperation, said, "There are 100 plus artisans from 22 states of the country. We have brought many traditional items here few are filigree work from Odisha, Agate chips painting from Madhya Pradesh, bamboo craft from Chhattisgarh, terracotta from Rajasthan. In textile, there is Kashmiri Namda which is liked by many."
Ali further asserted that this concept is the promotion of artisans, therefore, stalls are available free of cost for them. "This is a campaign to upgrade the artisans of the minority community and connect them with the market," he added.
The attraction of the exhibition includes terracotta pottery utensils by Owaisi Altaf from Uttar Pradesh. Altaf claims that these are made from 'Pilli Mitti' and are then painted with red and black color and are safe for cooking.
Another popular item is 'Kashmiri Namda' by Peer Adil Hussain from Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmiri Namda is a woolen product; we make it with pure sheep wool, it is a seasonal product and is in demand during winters.
Bamboo craft too is getting a lot of attention, Aurangzeb Khan, an artist from Chhattisgarh said "We have many decorative items made from bamboo. Elaborating upon the process Khan said, first we dry the bamboo and then make an item out of it. We have wind flute, bow and arrow and other decorative items."
Along with craftwork and handloom products 'Hunar Haat' also has some lip-smacking traditional food stalls from Awadh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Kerala. (ANI)