PANAJI
The ‘banglanatak.com’, a Kolkata based socio-cultural organisation has resumed its Goa operations at Sadhana Dell 'Arte in Merces from December 2020 and now has started inviting handicraft artists of rural Bengal, Western Rajasthan and Goa for exhibition, workshop and sale. The banglanatak.com which is a national partner to UNESCO New Delhi and international advisor to ICH Committee, UNESCO. “We are also a partner in the International Entrepreneurship Forum, UK,” says Amitava Bhattacharya, founder director of banglanatak.com, adding, ‘the director general, India Tourism from New Delhi recently visited us at Sadhana Dell 'Arte and interacted with the traditional handicraft artists. She and the regional director (West) from Mumbai interacted with the team.”
The banglanatak.com works on ‘art for life’ methodology which builds capacity of rural artists, links them directly to the market, facilitates exchange-collaboration, and holds village festivals. Promoting art, artists and villages is a wonderful way to develop responsible cultural tourism placing the communities at the nucleus of tourism, bringing both socio-economic gain and pride to artists and villages, shares Bhattacharya. India Tourism Kolkata has promoted such villages in rural Bengal as ‘Incredible India Weekend Getaways’ to experience culture in reviving rural responsible tourism, now Goa may also like to explore promotion of responsible tourism to offer a new valuable product to tourists, while benefiting artists communities and engaging/ attracting youth, he hoped.
