More than 70,000 people have visited the exhibition so far organised by the State Information Department at the Police Grounds near Gandhipuram here.

While most of the stalls are crowded with visitors eager to buy various commodities, the one put up by 40-year-old Ajay D’Souza from Punjab is always overflowing with people, who are curious to get their names or religious quotes written in a small wooden piece.

Ajay uses fabric painting to write or paint the designs what his customers want and he charges Rs. 50 to 450 depending on their ‘demands’.

“Its been our livelihood for the last three generations. My grandfather learnt this art from a local expert and my father and me took up this from him,” says Ajay, who started learning the art when he was in primary school.

“Most of my customers are from South India. They like to have designs and writings on small wooden pieces, which I bring from Himachal Pradesh,” he says. The size of the wooden pieces varies between 5 cm and 20 cm, which makes it easy for him to carry wherever he goes.

The exhibition, that began on April 13, will be on till June 7 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Tickets are priced at Rs. 15 for adults and Rs. 10 for kids.