Crafts Map of Sri Lanka presents to President Rajapaksa

By Janaka Alahapperuma

The first copy of a Crafts Map of Sri Lanka was presented to President Mahinda Rajapaksa recently by National Crafts Council of Sri Lanka Chairman Buddhi Keerthisena in the presence of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda and Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Y.K Sinha at a ceremony at Temple Trees.

The National Crafts Council published the Crafts Map of Sri Lanka with the assistance of the India Sri Lanka Foundation, and under the guidance of Dastkari Haat Samithi, New Delhi.

The Map highlights unique Sri Lankan handicrafts, which use age old tools and techniques, and indigenous raw materials. The handicrafts are produced mainly in the homes of crafts persons or in the crafts centers in rural areas of Sri Lanka. The Map is expected to promote the unique crafts of Sri Lanka by identifying them and giving them visibility. The Government of India is also funding the building of a Handicrafts village at Hambantota and one in Jaffna.

The India - Sri Lanka Foundation, which supported the publication of the Crafts Map of Sri Lanka, was established by a Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of India and Sri Lanka in 1998 in order to foster India - Sri Lanka relations through the enhancement of economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation and to promote greater understanding between the people of the two countries. High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Y.K.Sinha and High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India Prof. Sudharshan Seneviratne are Co-Chairpersons of the Foundation.

Source: High Commission of India- Colombo