E-Kantipur

KATHMANDU, JUN 25 -

Dhukuti, at Kupandole, Lalitpur offers a wide selection of handicraft products to suit varied preferences and needs. The store occupies four floors. The ground floor contains jewellery items, cotton and pashmina scarves, paper items and window display items, among others. Prices range from Rs 85 for a brooch to Rs 20,000 for a table.

The first floor is dedicated to products such as bags, cushion covers and ceramic items. They cost from Rs 200 to Rs 3,000. Likewise, the second floor features bedcovers, tableware and copper items. They

are priced from Rs 167 for a place mat to Rs 8,000 and more for copper products.

Dhukuti has named its third floor Children Corner where they offer bed covers, toys, dolls, tables, chairs and cushion covers, among other items, for children. Prices range from Rs 100 to Rs 3,000. Copper and textile

products are the best selling items

at Dhukuti.     

“For handicraft lovers, this is an ideal place to visit,” said Anjali Bajracharya, local marketing officer of the Association of Craft Producers (ACP) which operates Dhukuti.

“We provide a wide variety of handicraft products from various parts of the country.”

ACP is a local not-for-profit organisation and is a member of Fair Trade Organization-Nepal (FTO-N). It provides design, marketing, management and technical services to low-income Nepali craft producers. The organisation has established itself as a resource to advance and distribute globally the products of local craft manufacturers, for which they receive fair wages and generous benefits.

According to Bajracharya, they sell products manufactured by more than 50 artisans who work out of ACP’s building at Ravi Bhawan, Kathmandu.

In addition, they market products made by more than 1,200 craft manufacturers across the country. “All the copper items sold here come from Palpa, leather items from Sindhukot in western Nepal and polymer jewelry items from Jhapa,” said Bajracharya.   

Dhukuti opened in 1986, the first in the Kupandole area. “Dhukuti was the only shop featuring handicraft products, now there are many competitors; but we are still the market leaders,” said Bajracharya. She added that more than two decades of experience

and building trust among customers had helped Dhukuti to stay at the top.

“Dhukuti has established itself as a brand now. Because of the quality and fine design of whatever we sell, handicraft lovers come to us regularly.” She added that domestic buyers had also become big fans of handicraft products.

 

Posted on: 2011-06-25 09:03

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