Basil Rajapaksa, Minister of Economic Development declared open the ‘Shilpa Alevi Gammanaya’ (Crafts’ village) at the Folk Art Centre of the National Crafts Council of Sri Lanka. The Shilpa Alevi Gammanaya’ houses thirty stalls that present various handicrafts and is open daily from 10 00am to 7 00pm.
The Ministry of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development funded the Shilpa Alevi Gammanaya project, which is considered a project of cultural value by UNESCO. Buddhi Keerthisena, Chairman of the National Crafts Council said that the project aims to provide the craftsmen with an opportunity to market their products and create an environment for the industry to grow.
Created after the ‘Dilli Haat’ model in New Delhi, the Shilpa Alevi Gammanaya houses indigenous handicrafts from various regions in the island.
Douglas Devananda, Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development, Weerakumara Dissanayake, Deputy Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development and Ashok K Kantha, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka were also present at the occasion.
