A State-level handicrafts exhibition and sales fair will be organised at the HMDA Grounds in Hyderabad from July 16 in connection with the Ashada Bonalu festival, said Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar.

The fair is aimed at providing devotees with a single platform to purchase a wide range of handicraft and traditional products required for the Bonalu celebrations.

Stating that Bonalu is not only a major spiritual festival but also a celebration of Telangana’s culture, arts and handicrafts, the fair will enable artisans from various traditional occupations including potters, blacksmiths, carpenters and others.

The exhibition will feature a variety of items used during Bonalu festivities. He said the fair would contribute to traditional artisans economic development while helping preserve Telangana’s traditional arts and crafts.

The Minister said more artisans would participate this year compared with the previous edition, with a larger number of stalls being set up. He added that greater priority was being given to a wider range of traditional occupational groups.

The exhibition is being organised under the auspices of the Rural Development Department and the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP). The Minister appealed to devotees visiting Hyderabad during the Bonalu festivities to visit the fair and support artisan families by purchasing their products.