All India Handicrafts Week

All India handicrafts week is celebrated every year all over the India by the people from 8^th of December to the 14^th of December. It is celebrated in every state of the country with great enthusiasm for increasing the awareness, support and importance in the society among people for the handicrafts. In the Imphal, a big Ecocrafts exhibition is organized in the premises of Public Library, B.T road.The whole week celebration is a special time of the year for all the artisans all across the country as they get a big chance to get focused and exposed for their great work all over the world. The organized exhibition during his week provides a big hope and opportunity to the millions of dedicated handicrafts artisans all around the India. It is a great event which helps in keeping alive the tradition and culture of handicrafts for the ages.
The whole week celebration includes five major components such as the buyer-seller meeting, handicrafts exhibition, artistic performances by the Indian artists, live display by the national award winning crafts-persons and exhibition of Indian food.

All India Handicrafts Week 2014

All India Handicrafts Week 2014 would be celebrated from Monday (8^th of December) to the Sunday (14^th of December).
How it is Celebrated
All India handicrafts week is celebrated by the offices of handicrafts development commissioner, as well as the ministry of textiles for the whole week in order to increase the awareness and distribute the main information of the handicrafts week schemes among the artisans. During the whole week celebration, the handicrafts development conducts a state-level as well as local marketing workshop in the Bangalore and in Mangalore respectively.
In this event celebration, around 50 crafts persons, NGOs, variety of experts in a range of crafts are invited in order to increase the interaction between them and various government agencies. The whole week celebrations are held to analyze all the faults and limitations come on the way of developing handicrafts as well as to discover the remedial measures. Experts are invited to assist the crafts making participants by discussing their experiences, ideas and solving problems.
During “All India Handicrafts Week” event celebration, homage is given by the people to the Late Smt. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay. She was a great social reformer, freedom fighter, follower of Gandhi and famous for her dedicated involvement in the Indian independence movement. She is also famous for being a driving force behind the revival of the Indian handlooms, handicrafts as well as enhancing the Indian women’s socio-economic standard through the co-operative movement after the independence of the country.
In order to promote and increase the awareness among people about the handicrafts, variety of craft maps, catalogues, leaflets and etc are published by the organizations to be distributed in the general public. During the celebration the Chikankari, Folk Painting, Phad painting, hand block printing, Bandhej Tie Dye, Durry Weaving, Kani Shawl Weaving, Lac bangles, Kantha, Mirror Work, Applique and Crochet, Crewel Embroidery, Phulkari and Kalamkari Painting, Zardozi and etc handicrafts works are displayed to the people.
Why Do We Celebrate and Objectives of Celebrating All India Handicrafts Week

• A show on the fashion accessories is organized by the Textiles Ministry and offices of handicrafts Development Commissioner to promote, increase awareness and enhance the band image of the Indian handicrafts.
• A book (Treasure of Handicrafts Clusters from India) is released to indicate how the handicrafts developed through the group development program.
• It is celebrated for the development and welfare of the handicrafts artisans from various states of all over the India.
• A talent upgrading-cum-design training in the bamboo craft is also organized to enhance the ability of the people.
• An awareness camp (for the Rajiv Gandhi Health Scheme on craft clusters) and design workshop at schools is also held for the children on the Indian Handicrafts to promote and enhance this ability among children.
• A competition is organized for the essay and drawing related to the handicrafts topics to display the message on the Indian Handicrafts all over India.
• A free medical camp is also organized for the advantage of the handicraft artisans.

All India Handicrafts Board
All India Handicrafts Board was first set up in the year 1952 as a Government adviser to sort out all the problems related to the handicrafts in India as well as applying the measures in order to improve and develop the handicrafts. It was constituted under the textile ministry chairmanship. The board was also required to get aware about all the aspects of the handicrafts such as marketing, technical, financial and artistic in order to implement plans effectively.
The All India Handicrafts Board offers an idea and support to the state governments in order to plan and execute the handicrafts development schemes. The board consists of the number of organizations of the handicraft and handloom. The board is fully responsible for the exhibition arrangements, handicrafts market development and export promotion of the handicrafts.