Sanatkada - An introduction

Lucknow, a city known for its culture, art and diversity, is a place where the present still nestles in the ambience of the past. Today a modern vibrant city whose people are known to appreciate and savour good food, language and “nawabi ada". Lucknow is a perfect place to get self help and craft groups from far flung parts of the country to showcase their products.

The idea of having such a space in Lucknow is how we started Sanatkada (Sanat- Craft and Kada- Home) in 2006, where organized groups of craftspeople from Rajasthan, Gujerat, Uttaranchal, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, West Bengal, and various parts of Uttar Pradesh ( Bijnor, Varanasi, Bhadhoi, Farrukhabad, Chitrakoot, Lucknow, Rampur, Mathura and Noida) have directly sold their products. These groups have worked over years to revive and restore the traditional crafts of their area while providing a sustainable livelihood to the artisans. They have woven traditional skills in contemporary designs to cater to the markets in the major cities. Over the years we have organized exhibitions across the country with a view to reach out to more number of customers. Thus while being able to cater to the urban buyer we have been able to provide markets and livelihood to those making these products.

Sanatkada in short is an effort to bring forth the hidden talent and the art spread across the country to the end user while ensuring that the artisans are not exploited.