Adani Foundation's 2-Day Sathwaro Mela Brings Diverse Art And Craft Forms Together

The Adani Foundation recently concluded the second edition of the Sathwaro Mela at the Adani Shantigram in Ahmedabad from September 14-15. Project Sathwaro aims to preserve India's heritage of arts and crafts while uplifting artisans in alignment.

The Adani Foundation shared a video to give a glimpse of the two-day event and said, "Sathwaro Mela brought together diverse art and craft forms from across India and provided a platform for talented artisans to showcase their beautiful creations."

" Every art has its own unique identity. A lot of thought process goes into these crafts and what is very enriching is the rich Heritage of India. These crafts have an immense history behind them. There are generations who practice these crafts. The Adani Foundation through the Sathwaro project is delighted to see the revival of such crafts," Dr Priti Adani, Chairperson, of the Adani Foundation.

The video takes a viewer through different artefacts created by artists from various parts of India, showcasing its cultural significance.

From the upscale Chanderi and Patola saris, the intricate Soonf embroidery cloth pieces, Pattachitra and stone dust paintings, to affordable macrame handwoven bags and home decor items, the unique nail craft, brasswares, terracotta artworks, oxidized and bead jewellery, the exhibition received an overwhelming response from the visitors, the Adani Foundation said.

The stalls of some rare artworks on display - Sujani handwoven linen (an exclusive art form carried forward by one and only family in India over generations), Sadeli handicraft, and the traditional Rogan art of Gujarat (both often referred to as dying crafts), were part of the two-day event.

With over 140 artisans attached to the Sathwaro, the two-day exhibition saw a coming together of over 80 artists - a mix of both independent artisans and Self Help Groups from different corners of India.

Adani Foundation And Its Role

Due to a lack of finances and support, artisans often struggle to market their products, forcing them to sell these at much cheaper prices to middlemen.

The Adani Foundation reaches out to such artists in far-flung villages to help them find a suitable and sustainable model of livelihood. The Foundation said they have been actively adopting villages, where women are counselled on the importance of being financially independent, trained in different skill sets, and encouraged to be part of self-help groups.

Om Prakash Maharana, a Pattachitra artist from Jagannath Puri, Odisha, said he was satisfied after selling his product at a good price. "I sold one of my most expensive paintings worth Rs 60,000 here. It's our first association with the Adani Foundation and we are so glad that they are reaching out to artists like us to help us reach our customers."

Suraj Omre, a stone dust artist from Faridabad, said, "I brought two big wall hangings for this exhibition along with other small frames. I managed to sell my biggest and exclusive wall hanging at Rs 55,000."

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)