There is art in every nook and cranny, art in the eye of those who seek it, and art in the heart of those who want to get inspired. One of the most culturally rich and colourful places to be, Nature Bazaar by Dastkar is a one size fits all market for those who have an eye for true artisanal crafts of India. Here, you can find clothes, fabrics, handicrafts, accessories, shoes, jewellery, decors, and other fascinating things made by hand.
In a consumerist market where everything people buy is constituted by mainstream brands and their eminent marketing skills, most people splurge their money on what’s trending and is readily available. The obsession with imagery and appearance has become so conventional that everything is guided to the consumers by what’s shown to the masses or at least portrayed to them in the way brands want to be perceived. As Guy Debord, 1967, ‘Society of Spectacle’, suggests, societies’ constant urge to consume new things to satisfy a certain level of abundance in their survival has been deeply manipulated by the market forces to sell an appearance over the actual product.
A Crafts Community
Very few people are conscious about what represents the society, what is rooted in their culture, and their motherland. Dastkar is a nonprofit organisation based in India that helps to promote traditional craftsmen and their prowess in traditional vernacular methods of art and craft. India is a country where the art and craft forum is the second largest sector in terms of skills employment; Dastkar has been carrying out its operations in 25 states of India since its inception in 1981.
Dastkar began with a common goal, to ensure the inherent artisanal skills of craftspeople were preserved and passed onto future generations; be it from a marginalised group or those from rural areas living poor lives but having rich crafts heritage. A group of 6 professionals coming from different disciplines came together to support the traditional artisans by providing them with the necessary support, knowledge, resources, and a market platform that allows them to portray their talent.
Inconspicuously, traditional craftsmanship and skills were slowly fading away, and consumers of contemporary society were unaware of the potential of the artisans and their crafts. Thus, the gap between the craftsmen and consumers had been increasing; to prevent the disenfranchisement of the craftsperson in the urban market and promote their talent in the contemporary marketplace, Dastkar has been acting like a bridge that supports the needs of both parties.
Dastkar’s Commitment
The word ‘Dastkar’ means a craftsman, a skilled man who creates with his hands. Working with over 1 lakh artisans, Dastkar has been profoundly committed to promoting the craft community and in turn, India’s heritage. Dastkar provides training by holding workshops that nurture the inherent skills of rural craftsmen, help them polish their skills, develop new ideas and have collaborative product development, channelling their inner potential to make a suitable and market-adaptive product that gels well with contemporary society. Hence supporting the craft community with a source of stability in income while providing them with full-time employment.
Dastkar is building a society for craftspeople, whether they are from a different race or a different culture, bringing everyone under the same roof; they are supporting inherent craft skills and aiding the artisans to become self-sufficient. They are given authority, and ownership of their creation, hence avoiding the rat run that’s caused by the exploitative middlemen. These craftsmen get to have one-on-one interaction with the buyers in the Dastkar bazaars. Here, they get to boost their confidence in operating a stall, as well as promote their culture.
https://www.indulgexpress.com/culture/art/2023/may/27/bengaluru-dastkar-bazaar-2023-celebrates-indian-crafts-and-culture-49403.html
Motives of Dastkar Bazaar
Dastkar Bazaar is a convergence of crafty prowess under a single roof. Representative stalls from all over India can be seen in these markets. One can get their hands on Mandana Art, a home decor art that originated from Rajasthan; crafts from the Awadh region of Lucknow called Chikankari having meticulous embroideries and patterns requiring several months of ‘labour love’; Clothes incorporated with Kalamkari art from Andhra Pradesh, where milk is used as a coating to fix organic dyes. Some of the design motives are inspired by the nature around the craftsmen. People who come to sell these fabrics are the ones who are weaving themselves, thereby getting the sum the creators deserve directly into their pockets and in return, also getting the appreciation the consumers give.
Consumers get to demonstrate live experience of art being crafted, such as paper mache, Solapith flower, etc.; likewise, visitors get to indulge in a hands-on learning experience of pottery, Pattachitra, and Madhubani painting. It is a lot more than just going to a shopping market and going through an act of transaction. It’s an experience where you can perceive how various styles of fabrics are created; one gets to learn where these traditions of specific types of clothing originated from, their various methods of dying, hand painting, and filling in patterns that are culturally inspired. Dastkar Bazaar offers a culturally rich experience that transcends a normal day marketplace. A good portrayal of the emancipation of talent and skills depicts the traditional knowledge of design, materiality, technology, and its value passed down to the upcoming generations.
Reference List
-Dastkar, Our Story, (online)
https://www.dastkar.org/about-us/ (Accessed date: 14 July 2023)
-Indulge, Kulkarni S., 27th May 2023, Bengaluru Dastkar Bazaar 2023 celebrates Indian crafts and culture (online)
(Accessed date: 15 July 2023)
-Miss Travel Potter (2023) Guide to Dastkar (Nature Bazaar) | Delhi Best Mela| Shopping for Handicraft Lovers
(YouTube video).
Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOj3HeMdpbI&list=TLPQMTUwNzIwMjNb87XFPZAvZA&index=7
(Accessed date: 16 July 2023).
-The Voice of Fashion (2021) Inside Dastkar Bazaar with Designer Aditi Prakash(YouTube video).
Available at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjegu1hx34M&list=TLPQMTUwNzIwMjNb87XFPZAvZA&index=3
(Accessed date: 16 July 2023).
–Image 1 – Dastkar, 28-10-24 (photograph)
https://www.dastkar.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2010-10-24_0428-min.jpg
-Image 2 – Indugexpress.com, 2023, Bengaluru Dastkar Bazaar 2023 celebrates Indian crafts and culture (image)
https://www.indulgexpress.com/culture/art/2023/may/27/bengaluru-dastkar-bazaar-2023-celebrates-indian-crafts-and-culture-49403.html
-Image 3 – Sanjeev, 2012, Dastkar Nature Bazaar (Photograph)
https://fashion.makeupandbeauty.com/dastkar-nature-bazaar-delhi/
-Image 4 – Sanjeev, 2012, Happy Face (Photograph)
https://fashion.makeupandbeauty.com/dastkar-nature-bazaar-delhi/
