Rich folk art, handicraft shine in Karnataka's R-Day tableau
New Delhi (PTI): From skillfully made pots, carefully sculpted sandalwood miniatures to hand-woven sarees, Karnataka's rich tradition of handicraft was on grand display at the Republic Day parade here on Wednesday.
A massive Asiatic elephant sculpted out of Mysuru rosewood with ivory inlay carvings, eye-catching Bidriware, bronze statues and lacquerware toys from Channapatna were the highlight of the tableau which was based on the theme -- 'Karnataka: The Cradle of Traditional Handicrafts'.
The tableau also featured Kamaladevi Chhatopadhyay, the acclaimed freedom fighter from Karnataka, who is also hailed as the 'mother of traditional handicrafts in India'.
She is seen offering 'baagina' that includes a sandal box, peacock shaped lamp pots, banana fibre bags from Sandur among others.
Terracota, sandalwood carving and the art of ivory carving is unique to Karnataka and the state government was making special efforts to ensure that the 55,000 artisans in the state get access to markets in this digital age, officials said.
Karnataka was the only state from southern India whose tableau was selected for the Republic Day parade.
The tableau showcased 16 traditional handicraft products that have received the Geographical Indicator tag.
The coastal traditions of the state also find a place on the tableau in the form of Yakshagana models and bronze face masks used in 'bhootha aradhane' (devil worship).
The tableau has been designed by a team of 100 artists led by art director Shashidhar Adapa.
A minute-long special song eulogising the state's folk arts and craft has been composed by music director Praveen Rao.
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Six workers killed in explosion at TN fireworks unit
Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu), Jan 4: Six workers were killed and another was injured following an explosion at a firecrackers manufacturing unit near here on Saturday, an official said.
The blast occurred in the morning when the workers were engaged in mixing chemical-raw materials, as part of the manufacturing process, leading to the deaths of 6 men and 4 rooms in the factory premises were flattened in the impact.
Fire and Rescue Services personnel immediately arrived at the spot and the injured worker, Mohammed Sudeen, was rushed to a government facility in nearby Madurai.
A police official here said two persons, a supervisor and a foreman, have been arrested in connection with the explosion adding further probe into the incident was on.
While Chief Minister M K Stalin announced a solatium of Rs 4 lakh to the families of each of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh to the injured person, the principal opposition party, AIADMK, slammed the government for 'not conducting' safety audits.
The deceased were identified as S Sivakumar (56), S Meenakshi Sundaram (46), R Nagaraj (37) and G Velmurugan, S Kamaraj and R Kannan, all the three were aged 54.
Chief Minister Stalin, expressing shock and grief over the deaths, said that he has directed officials to ensure special care for the injured worker at the Madurai government hospital.
Conveying his condolences to the bereaved families, he said he has ordered authorities to release financial assistance to the affected families and the injured worker from the CM's Public Relief Fund.
Party leaders condoled the deaths. AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami condemned the state government for its 'callousness' and alleged that it did not carry out safety audits.
CPI(M)'s 24th Tamil Nadu State Conference urged the state government and the fireworks company to provide Rs 20 lakh and Rs 10 lakh respectively, as compensation, to the families of dead workers.
Fireworks units not properly following the safety norms was the reason behind the continuing accidents, the Marxist party alleged.
It urged the state and central government authorities to ensure compliance of safety regulations by firecrackers manufacturing units.
BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai said his party had months ago demanded inspections in fireworks units to ensure safety for workers. "The DMK government does not seem to have taken any action in this regard," he alleged.
"We urge the DMK regime to conduct inspections to ensure safety for workers without any further delay," he added.
The CPI(M)'s state meeting from January 3 to 5, 2025 is being held at Villupuram.
