AP Crafts Council launches crochet workshop at Hawa Mahal to revive traditions

Eleven fundamental stitches, plus flowers, squares, bottle covers, cardigans and blankets, are at the center of a new crochet push at Hawa Mahal on Beach Road, where AP Crafts Council is trying to keep handmade skills in front of a fresh generation.

The five-day workshop opened on Monday as part of Summer Craft Week, with around 30 participants on the first day. Sessions run from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. through May 8, and late enrolment is still being allowed, making it one of the more accessible entry points into crochet for anyone aged 10 and above.

The program is being led by Madhavi Suribhatla, an eight-time Guinness World Record holder and certified crochet instructor, who is guiding beginners through the basics before moving them into small finished pieces. That sequence matters. A square becomes a coaster, a flower becomes an appliqué, and a bottle cover or cardigan gives new crocheters something useful to take home instead of just practice swatches.

Suribhatla has been presenting crochet not just as a craft, but as a workable alternative to too much screen time. She says the activity can help children concentrate better and build creativity, which is exactly why this kind of structured workshop has appeal beyond the usual hobby crowd. It gives parents, students and first-time makers a clear skill path rather than a loose demo.

The opening session drew Renuka Rani, chairperson of the Crafts Council of Andhra Pradesh, and Mayank Kumari of the royal family of Jeypore, underscoring the institutional backing behind the effort. That backing matters because crochet, like many hand skills, often fades when it is treated as a private pastime instead of something taught in public spaces with continuity and visibility.

The Visakhapatnam chapter of the council has already used school-based outreach to keep craft education alive, including classes in five Zilla Parishad schools under its Krishna Kamalam Praveenya Vikasam initiative. The city has also built a strong crochet identity of its own: Mahila Manovikas set a Guinness World Record in 2022 with 4,686 crochet caps and hats, then followed in 2023 with 2,719 crochet ponchos. In a city that has already turned crochet into a record-setting public effort, Hawa Mahal’s workshop is less a novelty than the next practical step in keeping the craft visible, teachable and worth learning.