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Eager participants throng 13th Handicraft Trade Fair
The second day of the 13th Handicraft Trade Fair being held at Bhrikuti Mandap saw large crowds snapping up domestic and foreign handmade products. Textiles, silver jewellery, metal craft, handmade paper, wood craft, ceramics, incense, paintings, beads, stone craft, bamboo products, gold ornaments, gems and herbal products are displayed from 177 stalls and six pavilions.The second day of the 13th Handicraft Trade Fair being held at Bhrikuti Mandap saw large crowds snapping up domestic and foreign handmade products. Textiles, silver jewellery, metal craft, handmade paper, wood craft, ceramics, incense, paintings, beads, stone craft, bamboo products, gold ornaments, gems and herbal products are displayed from 177 stalls and six pavilions.
Anu Kafle from Biratnagar who is an event management student at Tribhuvan University was at the trade fair with her classmates. She was excited to find out that there was such a large variety of Nepali handmade paper products.
Besides local participants, foreign visitors were keenly observing the products made in Nepal. Vaidhavi Kumar from Hyderabad, India is a frequent visitor to Nepal. “I liked the cotton clothes, wooden windows and ethnic clothes at the trade fair which reflect Nepali culture.” She was accompanied by her husband and was having a great shopping experience. The exhibitors said that they were encouraged by the large turnout of eager visitors. Nepali footwear and leather products were one of the major attractions at the four-day fair. BF Dearhill Shoes was offering its products at a 15 percent discount.
“Continuous participation in the handicraft trade fair has helped to promote Nepali footwear which the government has recently included in the NTIS (Nepal Trade Integration Strategy),” said proprietor Hom Nath Upadhyay. “We sell quality products at prices ranging from Rs1,000 to Rs4,500.”
Another domestic shoe manufacturer Samrat Shoes is also a regular exhibitor at the annual trade fair.
Director of the company Manoj Kumar Karn said they were getting encouraging response for their products. Samrat Shoes has displayed more than 40 varieties of footwear at its stall and offers a discount of 15-30 percent.
Shoe manufacturers said that consumers had become increasingly attracted to Nepali shoes of late due to their improved design, durability and reasonable prices.
Nitya Traditional Tex had its shelves filled with cotton trousers, half pants, shawls, T-shirts, mufflers and handkerchiefs.
“The main purpose of participating in the trade fair is to promote our products rather than sell them,” said the owner Basanta Kumar Maharjan. “Our products are reasonably priced and there is no bargaining because they are of good quality.”