Kumbalangi’s art goes global

Express News Service
First Published : 09 Sep 2009 11:52:00 PM IST
Last Updated : 09 Sep 2009 02:44:45 PM IST

KOCHI: Giving a boost to the Kumbalangi Integrated Tourism
Village (KITV) project, its workmanship will be on display at the Calling India event that will take place in Los Angeles from September 18 to 21.

“We will showcase a lot of handicrafts made by our artisans at the event. We will carry an audio-visual presentation and brochures to take bookings from tourists for homestays if there are any enquiries,’’ said Shaji Kuruppasseri, secretary of the tourism project who will be going to LA.

He said that they would carry handicraft items made from coconut shell, coconut fibre and wood. “We have made miniature versions of Chinese nets and country boats in wood. Some of the other items include flower vases, wine bottles, spoons and spatulas and jewellery boxes made out of coconut shell. Foreigners are fascinated by jewellery from coconut products.

So we will carry a few of those items too,’’ he said. Two villages in Kerala, which are under the United Nations Development Programme, will be represented at the event. One is Kumbalangi and the other is Aranmula.

“This is the first time that Kumbalangi is getting exposure in the international arena. We are planning to make the most of it,’’ Shaji said.

Kumbalangi panchayat, which has put forth the proposal to integrate tourism with the livelihood of villagers, has been a successful experiment as far as villagers are concerned as there is no shortage of tourists. “But we need to market it to sustain the flow of tourists,’’ he said.

Kumbalangi Integrated Tourism Village project focuses on transforming the tiny island on the outskirts of Kochi to a model fishing village and tourism spot.

The village is ringed by Chinese nets, mangroves and homestays run by villagers themselves. There is no external monitoring body and it is the panchayat that takes all the decisions.

Under the Kumbalangi project, Kalagramam, an artists’ village has been set up to showcase traditional fishing equipment and handicrafts of the region.