Crafts Mela ends with a brief glimpse of Sindh

As M Riyaz poured gravy on the coloured rice, it was evident that the biryani he was serving at the Crafts Mela 2017 was quite different from what the people of Karachi are used to.

“We have fried Rahu fish, finger fish, biryani, bhindi and samosas, and apart from the last item all are specialities of Sindh,” he said on Sunday, when the three-day event concluded.

Organised by the Sindh Indigenous & Traditional Crafts Company, the Crafts Mela at the Mohatta Palace differed greatly from last week’s Sindh Folk Festival.

Abdur Rehman Shaikh, one of the organisers, said the three-day event aimed at bridging the gap between rural and urban populace because the latter needed to realise the worth of the artisans, who mainly belong to the former segment.

“We want to give them [the artisans] a platform in the cityscape, and let the people experience the taste of Sindh. However, while it may seem similar to the Sindh Folk Festival, this is certainly not its extension.”

Measuring the freshly fried fish on an old-fashioned weighing balance, Ghulam Shabbir from Bhit Shah said fish and biryani were the most popular items at his stall, as many people came with plastic boxes for takeaway.

Across from his stall, Muhammad Ali Soomro’s table offered something for those with a sweet tooth: Mawa, which is usually called Khoya. “It’s made of pure milk and is used in a variety of sweetmeats.”

Next to his stall, Muhammad Aslam fried Bis, an underground plant that resembles a potato but differs in taste, in a wok. He said it had gooey strands and was very beneficial for the joints.

“I’m making this in the form of pakoras, and while Sindhis especially demand this, others are also quite fascinated by it. I also have achaar all the way from Shikarpur, in both vinegar and oil dressing.”

Aslam, however, wished his city was not ignored by everyone, especially after it too suffered at the hands of extremists, especially two years ago when a bomb blast claimed the lives of many.

On the other side, an ailing Saran from Thar cleaned the raw wool with her hands while her daughter-in-law Ghatau sewed various pieces of cloth to be sold.

Besides the apparel, the stalls also had artisans displaying Jandi work, which is usually done on Lawwa wood, except the design is imprinted on the pieces, including furniture, using fire.

“We were also supposed to show our art by creating live designs on wood for visitors,” said Shershah, “but it couldn’t work out. The reason these pieces are expensive is the durability of design, because fire strengthens the colour.”

Many fine arts students were on hand as volunteers and felt that it was high time everyone, including those without an association with the field of arts, should realise the effort put into arts and crafts.

“Many of us are unaware about the culture of Sindh even though Karachi is a part of it,” said Falak. “It takes days and weeks to create one shawl or a piece of clothing because these workers use manual machines to do so, and we need to acknowledge their handiwork and not waste time bargaining with them, because like it or not we’d pay double the price at a branded store.”