An afternoon spent at the Sampoorn Santhe.......

The much needed break seems to be zooming ahead without 'brake'. The days are packed up with lunch meets, rendezvous-vous, visiting friends and trying to catch up with a long list of pending chores. Every time, I decide to complete all my pending work during the break but never seem to be able to accomplish them! This time was no better! My earnest wishes to be a person who never ever keeps things pending hasn't been of much help. Sigh! As I step into the holiday and break time mode, I seem to become lazier and an easy going person! The 'shall do this tomorrow' syndrome takes the better of me! I soak myself in the real holiday mood and before long find myself at the end of the break time with a huge pile of unfinished chores. As usual! I guess, this is how it will continue to be!

So I decided not to think of my woes much and really take in all the fun and happiness that this short spell of holiday has to offer. It was one of those days when I met friends for lunch, chatted endlessly with them, enjoyed the absolutely gorgeous Bangalore weather and went shopping at the Sampoorn Santhe! Sounds fun, isn't it? And believe me, it was a perfect day spent with the loveliest of people I have met and bonded at the institute; friends with whom I have become so comfortable :-D.... A trip, a visit or just about the silliest of activities become so enjoyable when there is good company:-)...

After a super delicious lunch, we decided to pay a quick visit to the Santhe...my quick visit invariably stretches itself to as much as it can be done! So an hour, as we had decided, went beyond a couple of hours and even at the end of it left me craving for more. I would have loved to spend some more time there. But then there are always these time issues, these checks that act as the great barriers to anything enjoyable! The environment at the Santhe was beautiful; the weather added to the charm. It was extremely pleasant, cool, breezy, cloudy at times with the sun making brief appearances at times and lighting up everything so beautifully. The crowd was comparatively thin, yesterday being a working day. So it was perfect for us to linger on at each of the stores, examining the pretty wares, speaking to the artisans who were more than eager to share their stories with us. The Rajasthani folk music added to making the place lively! The folk singers from the most colourful state in our country sang effortlessly creating an eclectic atmosphere. There were those visitors who could not control their urge to dance gracefully to those catchy tunes:-D...artists who sat amidst all and sketched effortlessly, young and talented designers who showcased their creations, the artisans who explained to us about their art that has been in their families for years together. No art school experiences there for these local artisans who have been talented enough to learn things themselves and experiment with their forms of art. All these and many more made us wonder about the storehouse of talent out there in our rural regions. These are places where I do not even ask for a discount! I feel, these artisans deserve their prices and maybe much more.

I tried capturing a few photographs; some of those gorgeous, colourful things that we got to see. I wanted to pick up something from each stall but then I did mention about those 'restrictions' earlier here, didn't I ? So I had to do a lot of mental as well as visual calculations before deciding on anything. I loved a lot of things; the dokra figurines, the terracotta planters, the colourful Khurja pottery, the Patachitra, the Peepli work on fabric, the kitschy metal hooks, the list goes on and on! I absolutely loved the bottle gourd planters, lamps and chimes! Imagine! The humble 'lauki' adorning our homes in a visibly creative avatar! 

Before I make the post an extremely lengthy one, I better stop here! Bangaloreans can always drop in to the Chitrakala Parishad for a real 'dekho'! Seeing is believing as we all know:-D.... In the meantime, I shall give you some visual treats here; a few of the shots that I managed to take at the fair. Hope you all like them:-)..... Do share your takes with me here.

Radha and Krishna- applique work from Peepli

Patachitra from Bengal...... This particular form of art exists in Orissa as well but this one is by the artisans from a tiny village in Bengal.

another one from Peepli.....I loved this one! The artist told me that this one has been done by his mother...

And look at the entrance;amidst the thick cluster of trees, this gives such a rustic feel.....

and when i had the chance to click the entrance without much obstruction.......

my love for the Peepli art!

riot of colours!

Pretty wares made out of the dried shells of our lauki or bottle gourd!

the folk singers from Rajasthan adding to the charm at the santhe

another view.........

Patachitra again!

Dokra love

Look at all that!

Such prettiness!

Isn't she a beauty!

Some more from the same stall!

colourful terracotta knick-knacks

metal wall decor pieces

I am completely smitten by these beauties!

What can I say to these!

Completely kitschy!

Kalamkari never seems to go out of fashion!