India-Nepal Folk Crafts Festival begins in Chaaya Centre in Thamel; exhibition of various crafts and artefacts developed by artisans of India and Nepal to take place for 5 days

The India-Nepal Folk Crafts Festival has started from March 30- April 03 at Chhaya Center, Thamel, Kathmandu with free entry and open to all. This exceptional 5 day long exhibition of various crafts will have exclusive artefacts developed by artisans of India as well as Nepal. In addition to exhibition, there will be live demonstrations by master craft-persons.

The India-Nepal Folk Crafts Festival (INCF) is an initiative of South Asia Foundation (SAF) and South Asia Foundation-Nepal (SAF-Nepal), to promote crafts based bilateral relations and to enhance artisans based cultural exchange programme between India and Nepal.

The India Nepal Folk Crafts Festival (INCF-2019) is being sponsored by the Government of India, through the Ministry of Textiles, and is organized by South Asia Foundation in association with Council of Handicrafts Development Corporations (COHANDS) and Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Govt. of India and being supported by Embassy of India, Kathmandu, Embassy of Nepal, New Delhi, B P Koirala India-Nepal Foundation (BPKF).

The Crafts Festival cum Display of artefacts will be inaugurated on March 30, 2019 at 3 PM followed by a cultural programme. The exhibition will have more than 80 artisans/craft persons from India and Nepal including 20 Schedule Caste Artisans, one of the most challenged  communities of India along with more than 30 participating artisans from various parts of Nepal.

Cross-cultural Festival like this is open to an ideal opportunity for effective tie-up and comprehensive collaboration between Nepal and India for a larger cooperation in the field of arts and crafts, thus providing a platform to the artisans to exchange ideas and explore a large cooperation and promote trade collaboration between the two countries.

Right Honorable Shri Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Hon'ble Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nepal will inaugurate the Festival and H.E. Sh. Manjeev Singh Puri, Hon'ble Ambassador of India to Nepal will be the Guest of Honor at the festival. An exclusive Buyer-Seller Meet would also be organised as a part of the Festival that will certainly enhance bilateral relationship and have greater exchange of trade that could be beneficial to the crafts sector like the past editions of the Festival.

A design development workshop will be conducted by a SAF-Design Consultant who will be engaging artisans of India and Nepal to introduce new design element and design trend to familiarize the artisans with market friendly products.

The Festival is being supported by both the Embassy of India, Kathmandu as well as Embassy of Nepal, New Delhi. The India-Nepal Folk Crafts Festival would be an important milestone in the immediate neighborhood of India that enjoys a strong bond with the country in every aspect.

The India-Nepal Crafts Festival Highlights

Highlights/Attractions:

 More than 80 Thematic Pavilion with focus on Folk Crafts of India and Nepal

 Cultural events

 Live demonstration by Crafts-persons

 Design Workshops to be conducted by qualified designer

 Trade Facilitation and Exclusive Buyer-Seller Meet

 Exchange of ideas between the craftsmen of both the countries.

 Food stalls.

 Seminars and Interactions with buyers, entrepreneurs and artisans.