Thiruvananthapuram, August 2, 2013: Tejas, Pattom, holds Trishakthi, an art bazaar. At this bazaar one can find everything from temple jewellery to Tanjore painting and mural inspired saris, shawls and more.

Thanumalayan Murthy, a goldsmith from Vadassery, Nagercoil, is the star of the exhibition, as he demonstrates the way temple jewellery is made. A laborious process as each piece of jewellery is painstakingly handcrafted with care, Murthy showcases how Kemp stones (stones used in this type of jewellery) are set in silver. “Although there is a demand for such jewellery, we are unable to meet the demand as there are very few families left who practise the craft,” says Murthy.

Although Murthy has a couple of intricately worked pieces of jewellery on display, these are not for sale. “These are sample pieces; I make to order,” he says. Adds Saraswathi Vasudevan, proprietress Tejas: “The purpose of holding such an exhibition is to educate denizens of the city of such a craft form and the amount of work the artisans put in to create such works of art.”

Customers can either choose from the designs available on exhibit or pick from a catalogue containing the various works Murthy has done, and place an order.

According to Saraswathi, students of Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam, Kuchipudi and the like, will be given a special discount if they place an order during this special promotion period.

Those who want to stand out from the crowd during this festive season can choose from Vijayalakshmi Murugan’s mural inspired paintings on Kerala saris; the earthen colours gel well with the saris in white and gold. Shawls with these type of paintings are available too.

The artist has also exhibited a couple of her Tanjore paintings and mural inspired works and her experiments on terracotta jewellery.

“I have used mural colours on jewellery. I have also painted a couple of mural inspired paintings on bamboo pen holders,” she says.

The exhibition is on until August 4. Time: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Contact: 9447001722

Source: The Hindu, DT. August 2, 2013.