The Department of Fashion Designing, Patna Women’s College participated in a six-day workshop on Sujni craft at Lalit Kala Academy, Patna, organized by Swasti Seva Samiti, Samastipur, Bihar from 24th to 29th February 2024. The workshop was focused on Sujni craft, culture and tradition of Bihar, as well as the conventional art and craft of Bihar. The craft involves converting layers of old cloth into beautiful designer items such as bed covers, cushion covers, sarees, and pillow covers. Women artisans from the village of Keota, under the guidance of Ms. Anita Choudhary, President of Swasti Seva Samiti, Samastipur, demonstrated the craft to the students. The students were fascinated to learn about the intricate patterns and details of the craft and to see the articles produced by the women artisans. The workshop also included a panel discussion on the craft, culture and tradition which was informative and interesting. The panellists included several learned and dynamic person such as –
1. Sujata Prasad: An author, curator, art columnist, and heritage conservationist.
2. Dr. Vinita Sinha: Associate Professor of English at Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi.
3. Dr. Ajay Pandey: Principal of the College of Arts & Crafts, Patna University.
4. Dr. Rani Jha: Associated with the Mithila Chitrakala Sansthan in Saurath, Madhubani.
5. Dr. Bijoy Kumar Choudhary: Executive Director of the Bihar Heritage Development Society.
6. Shri Vinay Kumar: An art critic.
7. Shri Vinod Anupam: A film and art critic.
8. Dr. Jainendra Dost: Lecturer in the Department of Arts and Crafts at SCERT, Patna.
Overall, the experience of this exposure was wonderful, and the students gained valuable knowledge about the Sujni craft and the culture and tradition of Bihar.

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