IITF Kerala Pavilion grabs eyeballs as it portrays centuries old trade ties

New Delhi : The 6,000 square feet Kerala Pavilion at the India International Trade Fair at Pragati Maidan in the national capital is grabbing a lot of attention as it displays the state’s historical trade relations with the rest of the world, especially the Gulf countries.

The state has prepared the pavilion that reflects the theme of the fair, ‘Vocal for Local, Local to Global’. It has been organized by the Information and Public Relations Department. Along with Uttar Pradesh, Kerala is also the focus state this time. The pavilion is on the first floor of the hall number 5 at Pragati Maidan.

The main attraction at the entrance of the pavilion is a giant yacht, carrying the spices of Kerala, cutting through the waves. Below this, Kerala’s cardamom and black pepper are arranged on pillars. This shows Kerala’s trade relations with foreign countries since ancient times. The pavilion is set up in such a way as to herald the importance of the Kerala brand even today at the international level. The details of the products of Kerala with the Geographical Indicator (GI) tags are also available in the pavilion.

The pavilion is designed in Kerala’s unique architectural style. Theme stalls and commercial stalls are arranged separately. Apart from the inner stalls, stalls are also set up in the outer corridors, modelled after the Kozhikode Mithayi (sweet) street.

As soon as you enter the entrance, you will see the works of various artists. Aranmula mirror, small models of yachts, wall paintings, small kathakali figures, pavkooth kolams (puppetry), clay figurines, small figures of chenda and idakka (local musical instruments) and mat weaving can be seen there. Themed stalls like Tourism, Agriculture, Cooperation, Coir, Local Self-Government, Fisheries, Forestry, Kudumbashree (Self Help Group) and Handloom are arranged around this. The fair also has food courts by Kudumbashree and SAF with different Kerala flavours.