Cultural Potpourri of Diverse & Inclusive Handmade Wonders -

With an interesting mix of traditional and bohemian, the Edition XIV of A Hundred Hands struck the right chord in the town. Like every year, the venue was brimming with abundance of colours and styles, sustainable food and fashion stories and tapestries after tapestries of heritage looms and crafts. Vibezeen.in brings you glimpses from the celebration of handmade.

Bangaloreans have a great appetite for all things good. From seeking simple joys in walking their pets in parks to indulging in shopping malls and breweries to the more refined tastes in reading circles and theatre… They like to lap up every single opportunity of recreation, especially on weekends. When the New Zealand Vs Pakistan World Cup 2023 match fell on a Saturday (November 4), it was a reason fair enough to get the cricket fans of the city swarming to the Chinnaswamy Stadium. But if you thought the live match was the only place for full swing action, think again! The teeming art lovers in the town gave a cold shoulder to the cricket fever and showed up in equally large numbers at a very different venue – the Jayamahal Palace Hotel, just 4.4 km away from the stadium.

Every year, Bangaloreans fondly embrace A Hundred Hands, the annual festival of handmade arts and crafts with a great deal of palpable excitement. This year too, the forum notched up more colours, stories, workshops, panel discussions, live performances and entertainment. The star highlight on Day 1 was the sustainable fashion show by Prasad Bidapa, fashion stylist and choreographer, which fuelled the recently-concluded 5-day collective on the right note.

With bohemian hues, colour pops, chic styles, sustainable food and fashion stories and tapestries after tapestries of heritage looms and crafts, every little space was brimming with abundance. At the Edition XIV of the collective, one was undoubtedly spoilt for choice with a wide variety of products, knick-knacks, clothing, furnishing, décor and more. The food court was undoubtedly an icing on the cake with its mouthwatering gastronomic offerings that kept visitors coming back for multiple rounds of munches and sips.

If Siddharth Surana’s shayari (poetry) touched the lyrical chords, Jibi Cherian brought a soothingly melodious shift in mood with her retro music. Avijit Kundu’s rhythmic Odissi and Gaudiya Nritya presentation on a balmy late afternoon and the composition of the magical walking violinist Aneesh Vidyashankar were truly mesmerizing. Watching jazzy musical performances by various bands and individual artistes on breezy late evenings was all one needed when wanting to slow down from the buying rush to take an entertainment break.

While the vibrant paraphernalia and décor all around was so very striking, it was hard to miss the pepped up energy levels of the dedicated organizers who make this lively event possible year after year. With the buzzing artisans/sellers eager to showcase their work and make a brisk business, the art patrons wholeheartedly supported the diversity and inclusivity of handmade.