Handicrafts Sales Emporium, popularly known as Ramsons, was founded by late D. Ram Singh in the year 1970. Since past 52 years, this store is well-known for quality handicrafts items like sandalwood artefacts, wooden furniture, metal and stone icons, dolls, board games, textiles, jewellery and giftware.

The unique aspect of Ramsons is the fact they have their own design wing which constantly brings out new products after diligent research into the needs and demands of customers. The annual exhibition of dolls (Bombe Mane) and the biennial exhibition of board games (Kreedaa Kaushalya) are enough to substantiate Ramsons commitment to uphold art, craft and culture of our land.

The 50th anniversary celebrations of Ramsons were scheduled to be in the April 2020 and was postponed due to the pandemic. Since we have now come almost out of the gloomy pandemic,the 50th anniversary will be celebrated with twin exhibitions — Kreedaa Kaushalya and Hasti Mangala.

The twin exhibitions will be inaugurated at Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, opposite Zoo, tomorrow (Apr. 24) at 6.30 pm.

S. Murugan, Additional Director General of Police, Bengaluru, D. Mahendra, Chairman, Karnataka Lalita Kala Academy, Bengaluru, R. Guru, Chairman, NR Group, Mysuru, Nadoja Dr. V.T. Kale, senior artist, Sandur, will be present during the inaugural.

The expos will  be open to public from Apr. 25 to Dec. 31 between 10 am and 7 pm.

Hasti Mangala

Elephant has captured the imagination of poets, kings, artists, bards, and commoners of India since time immemorial. The beauty, strength, enormity and majesty of an elephant evokes awe and fascination in its onlooker. It is hailed as a gentle giant with its ambling gait. Its highly dexterous playful trunk, the swaying enormous ears and majestically curving tusks give an impression of stateliness to these giants of the forests.

Elephant is the unofficial mascot of Mysore. During the days leading up to the Dasara festivities, the roads of Mysore become the runway for umpteen elephants who finally are the show-stealers at the Vijayadashami Jumboo Savari. Naturally, elephant has been one of the favourite motifs for the Indian artist. Every corner across the length and breadth of our country abounds in art with varied and stylised form of an elephant. It is a recurring motif in temple carvings, forts, palaces, textiles, coins, paintings,  sculptures etc,.

Ramsons is celebrating the 52nd anniversary through the unique expo featuring the motif of the elephant in different traditional and contemporary art and crafts of India — Hasti Mangala.

Kreedaa Kaushalya

The 9th edition of the popular exhibition of traditional board games will feature about 30 varieties of indoor board games.

The games that can be found in this expo are — Chauka Bara, Adu Huli, Pagaday, Chaduranga, Aligulimane, Paramapada, Sixteen Sepoys, Panchi, Vimana, Pancha Keliya, Nav Keti Keta, Pretwa, Hasu Chirate, Huli Kallu,  Egara Guti, etc. The boards of these games have been conjured in various craft traditions from across the country like — rosewood inlay of Mysore, Kalamkari of Sri Kalahasti, Silk Embroidery of Ahmedabad, pit-loom dhurry weaving of Solapurand wood lacquerware from Channapatna, etc.

This year the design wing of Ramsons has brought game boards and pawns exclusively from the craft forms of Karnataka. Navalgund jamkhanas have been reimagined to incorporate Chaukabara game patterns along with the traditional ones which have Pagaday pattern. The colourful game boards are created in Lambani embroidery on cotton cloth. Silk gameboards with zari woven patterns of games are colourful and beautiful. Ornately carved and inlaid round teapoys have been created in the rosewood inlay craft of Mysore.