Varanasi: The famed Meenakari art of Varanasi left visitors in awe in the recently concluded Dubai Expo 2020 in which 192 countries participated. The expo, one of the largest in the world, was held from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. Introduced by the Mughals in India, Meenakari is painting and colouring the surfaces of metals and ceramic tiles involving intricate designs and is a decorative feature for serving dishes, containers, vases, frames, display ornaments and jewellery.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Artijan Kunj Bihari Singh, said he got a chance to showcase his work for 10 days at the Expo. "It was a great experience. Especially getting an opportunity to showcase your talent in front of 192 countries. People who used to visit the Indian pavilion used to be completely mesmerised," he said.
Asked what it was that people loved the most in the Indian Pavilion, Singh said a Meenakari chessboard and bird were the two products that impressed all and sundry. "They were awed by it (chess set) and said it was the most beautiful chess board in the world. I used to tell them that our honourable PM Narendra Modi had gifted it to US vice president Kamala Harris," he said. Last year, PM Modi, during his visit to the US, had gifted Harris a Gulabi Meenakari chess set as a mark of the craftsmanship of Kashi, his constituency.
The Indian pavilion at the expo was a great hit because of the diverse products and art on display, he said. "We had cultural programmes as well as live demonstrations of the artwork. The visitors used to say Jay Hind after visiting the Indian Pavilion. They were thoroughly impressed and we felt very proud," Singh said.
"While we were not allowed to sell our products, we were able to make contacts and show our artwork to the entire world. We feel that we are able to take the famed Meenakari to the entire world," he said.
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