Hiralaxmi Craft Park... A vision to preserve,
restore and promote the arts of Kutch and making
them accessible to masses.
Hiralaxmi Craft Park is the brainchild of
Mr. Chetan Shah, Managing Director
of Ashapura Group. The seeds of this idea were
sown when a delegation of rural artisans was
invited to the Ashapura guesthouse to demonstrate
their art and artifacts. During his discussions
with the artisans, Mr. Shah realized that many
of these treasured arts were on the verge of
extinction. This was primarily due to lack of
an organized forum to exhibit their artifacts
and financial support. The need of a platform
to encourage these artisans to maintain, develop
and pass on their legacy was felt. Thus, the
Hiralaxmi Craft Park was born. Hiralaxmi Craft
Park complex is situated at Bhujodi village
in Kutch and is spread over 10 acres of land.
The park is accessible to the general public
free of cost since its opening on December 18,
2005. Apart from a well established and organized
forum to display and sell their wares, the artisans
are provided with meals, boarding, lodging at
free of cost and a daily stipend during their
stay at craft park.
In order to provide exhibition and display
opportunity to all art forms and artisans, a
time table based on monthly rotation of artists
has been worked out. The response from the artisans
as well as the visitors has been overwhelming.
The park receives on an average 4000 visitors
every week. The Craft Park has already evolved
into a learning center and a source of information
for students, surveyors and NGOs. Recently an
independent NGO named Ashapura Bahuvividha Trust
conducted survey on the Arts of Kutch and commended
the Hiralaxmi Craft Park for encouraging and
sustaining this invaluable park of culture of
Kutch.The students of NIFD have had a work here.
The students of faculty of Social work are pleased
to study field work with this park. In order
to invite more footfalls at the park, there
are electronic rides for children and a cafeteria.
A beautiful Radha-Krishna temple and a lotus
pond add to the ambience of the craft park.So
all age group person can enjoy at this place.
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