As parties intensify efforts to woo voters, ‘power art’ takes centre stage in Chennai

Artisans in Chintadripet specialising in lace garlands are going beyond the regular run-of-the-mill specifications. Even customisations through the year will fit certain patterns, monotonously recurring.  Customisations currently being pursued follow a whole new pattern. This is a pattern that repeats once every few years. These artisans are now putting faces to the lace gardens, powerful faces. Based on orders from political parties in Tamil Nadu, they personalise the lace garlands and kritams (crowns) with the faces of leaders of those institutions.

The colours of party flags are woven into the lace garlands.