Shainu Mohan By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The revamped Arts and Crafts Village at Vellar, an ambitious project of Kerala Tourism, will be thrown open to the public and tourists in March. The village, which aims at popularising arts and crafts and improving the livelihood of artists and artisans from the state, is expected to draw scores of tourists to Vellar, a rocky hamlet near Kovalam. The ethnic village -- which was renovated for Rs 20 crore -- will have a slew of additional features including a museum, amphitheatre, emporium, children’s park, light and sound show, art gallery and dining area. A top official with the Tourism Department said that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the Arts and Crafts Village tentatively on March 10. The Tourism Department has signed a lease agreement with Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS) for 25 years. The state government had opened the Arts and Crafts Village at Vellar back in 2011 but due to poor management, the village failed to reap success. Later, the village was shut down for revamp in 2018. An official of ULCCS said that the village will showcase live demonstrations of nearly 40 handicraft items. As many as 28 studios have been set up at the village for the purpose. “We are also planning a cultural exchange programme for artisans to give them more exposure on an international level,” said the official One of the studios at the village has been designated to showcase international crafts. “We plan to bring artisans who make Turkish lights from Turkey. People will get to see how the same is made and buy them later,” he said. The authorities also plan a research and development campus on the village premises to modernise traditional crafts and popularise products. “Balaramapuram kaithari is a popular and renowned product. But the designs remain the same. Here, we will develop a line of kaithari (handloom) clothing for youngsters,” he said. The ULCCS has also renovated the existing auditorium at the village with state-of-the-art acoustics. “We have invested a lot on the interior and acoustics of the auditorium. Also, the emporium at the village will sell products from across the globe,” the official added.

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