Vadodara: Want to catch a glimpse of handicrafts by an artisan from Assam or a handloom from Kashmir? Make sure you visit the two-day exhibition , “Urja”, organized by the Gaekwad royal family at Maharani Chimnabai Stree Udyogayala near Sursagar Lake in the city. Forty-two participants, including 17 artisans, will display their work at the exhibition that begins on Friday. “Many of these artisans are from remote villages and deprived backgrounds.

They are immensely creative, and their work deserves to be displayed. The idea behind giving them a platform is to give them support to ensure that their crafts are preserved. This is the fourth edition of Urja and we got a good response from the people,” said Radhikaraje Gaekwad, trustee and vice-president of Maharani Chimnabai Stree Udyogalaya (MCSU).

Proceeds from the exhibition will be used to support the artisans financially. The trust has also launched an in-house store, “Padmanarayani”, in the MCSU building, where merchandise and handicrafts will be available throughout the year. Apart from the exhibition, visitors can also hang out at Gujarat’s first LGBTQ cafe, “Gajra Cafe” which offers a unique blend of Maharashtrian and Gujarati cuisines.

The MCSU organizes several women-oriented programmes, including skill training. We also published the following articles recently Goa Haat app to boost sales of artisans In response to an assembly query, Goa's handicrafts minister Ravi Naik stated there are no immediate .