The arts and crafts fair at Dilli Haat give a glimpse into the rich culture of the UT

At the second edition of Enchanting Ladakh, the annual art and craft fair organised by the Union territory’s Department of Industries and Commerce, saw several people from the Dard Aryan tribe of Ladakh. There were stalls displaying Rajasthani churan, Madhubani paintings and Lucknowi chikan kurtas.

The event was inaugurated by Ladakh L-G Radha Krishna Mathur in the presence of MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Feroz Ahmed Khan of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, Tashi Gyalson of LAHDC, Leh, and senior officials from the Union Ministry of Textiles.

Visitors were offered a chance to dress up in the colourful costumes of the Dard Aryans for `50 or get pictured with them. Around 76 artisans with their karigars from the UT will stay put in Delhi over the next two weeks selling their uniquely crafted handloom and handicraft products such as pashmina shawls (called Lena), clay models, dry fruits, hand-knitted items and seabuckthorn products.

The deputy secretary of Ladakh’s Department of Culture, Tsewang Paljor, who is a part of the organising committee, said, “We have got artisans from all corners of Leh and Kargil, making sure no unique product or art form is left behind.”

He shared that the preference was given to rural artisans and craftsmen. All the proceeds will go directly to the artisans. At the inaugural event, Gyalson said that this is the second edition. “We didn’t record good sales in the first edition of the festival. We wanted to make sure that the artisans from Ladakh gets sufficient exposure on a national level,” said he.