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| Saturday, 7 February 2004 |
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The second Craft Village at Battaramulla : Developing our crafts The second in the series of` 'Craft Villages' planned to be set-up islandwide under the patronage of the National Crafts Council is due to be opened on the 20th of February at the `Jana Kala Kendraya' premises in Pelawatte, Battaramulla showcasing a variety of crafts to many city dwellers who haven't had the opportunity of familiarising themselves with our magnificent heritage while bringing it closer to the many business travellers and tourists visiting the country's metropolis which is under an hour's drive from Battaramulla. by Prasad Abu Bakr The National Crafts Council under the flagship of Dr. Buddhi Keerthisena has planned to open at least 10 `Craft Villages' islandwide similar to the one that is presently being set-up in Battaramulla which is the second in the series.
The first was opened in Dambulla last November. In the process of planning these villages a great deal of emphasis has been laid in using very traditional methods of architecture preserving the village atmosphere to the utmost. This will definitely bring about a new experience to the city dwellers. There will be a series of huts that will house some of the country's prominent craftsmen at work featuring the many methods of mask making, batik production, pottery, leatherware and other craft production little known to many living in the city. Beside the huts, there will also be a conference hall, and an art gallery enabling artists to have regular exhibitions. There will also be a showroom where the final products will be on sale to visitors and a restaurant selling foods with a local flavour ranging from boiled manioc with grated coconut and chili paste to the variety of sweetmeats that are otherwise only available during the new year. Foods from different provinces will be a special attraction to local visitors to the village.
Flanked by the new Parliament complex, the Diyawanna Oya and its own herbal park which features many medicinal plants, the new Craft Village lies in regal splendour within the sprawling acreage of the National Crafts Council. It is being planned to conduct daily tours for foreign tourists residing in city hotels affording them the opportunity of viewing the methods our national crafts are produced and also enabling them to buy such crafts as well.
On a large platform, performers will entertain the visitors daily bringing into view a variety of dances both from up and low country forms. Many ritual dances and rhythmic drumming performances will take a focal point during these evenings. It is the council's view that this project will be a totally self supportive operation making it non-dependent on state funds. It is hoped that a project of this nature will encourage people to steer away from using polythene and plastic products that have flooded our market in no small measure and make them more eco-oriented familiarising themselves with the many environmental friendly materials that our country has to offer.
There are a variety of handicrafts that are already being produced at a village level islandwide. Gold and silver handcrafted jewellery, brass and copper engravings, handwoven fabrics, lacquer work, pillow lace, embroidery work, rush and reed products, coir products, wooden engravings, sculpture, masks and pottery are some of them. With this new Craft Village coming into being all these products will be made available to the public under one roof. It will be a rare opportunity that will afford us to have a view of these products and the manner in which they are produced. At a time that the country is looking ahead in giving its tourist industry the best form of facilities and services the `Craft Village' is indeed a great achievement towards securing such goals. Looking at it positively it is also anticipated that through projects of this nature, our local handicrafts will find itself a ready market among her own people as they grow to become more familiar with products of this nature.
The National Craft Council believes that this is an ideal opportunity not only for adults but even for the present younger generation to develop a feeling for their culture and arts by visiting this village. There are many plans in the offing to encourage schools to visit the village on a regular basis helping them to sharpen their knowledge on our crafts in the process. Plans are under way to operate a new bus service through the road that the National Craft Council stands, between Pannipitiya and Colombo which will give the general public easy access to the `Craft Village' site thus giving them an indepth view of the capabilities of some of Sri Lanka's prominent craftsmen and some of their finest crafts. |
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