Pallishree mela to have 350 stalls

CUTTACK: The National-level Pallishree Mela, which has become one of the most sought after features of the Balijatra festival, is all set to entice the visitors. With majority of the states across the country set to participate, buyers will have a wide array of traditional products, crafts, textiles and wares to choose from. Organised by Orissa Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) under the State Panchayati Raj Department, in collaboration with Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Textiles Department and Nabard, the Pallishree expo would be hosting around 350 stalls this year. With a diverse range of crafts, textiles, utility items, processed food and furniture from across the country on display, the expo is slated to give the visitors a taste of India. For the first time in its history, the Mela would host a specially clustered textiles exhibition, bringing together the ethnic textiles and garments from across the State under one roof. Weavers’ societies from Maniabandha, Sonepur, Sambalpur and Jajpur would display their products. The main objective of the expo is to popularise different ethnic and rural products of the country. It would also provide a platform to rural artisans and craftsmen to interact with prospective buyers. Besides, with stalls being set up to demonstrate the process that goes behind making of the products, the event will enable an exchange of ideas regarding the technology involved. “We would be having four demonstration stalls showcasing the processes going into the making of niche products in handloom, terracotta, marble and agarbatti. Besides, daily workshops and training programme for the Self-Help Groups (SHGs) on marketing, business development and quality control would be organised. Entrepreneurial and soft skill development programmes would also be undertaken for the SHG members through training and exposure visits during the week-long expo,” ORMAS Chief Executive, Cuttack, Bipin Bihari Rout said. The Pallishree Mela and the Gandhi Shilpa Bazaar have been the major draw of Balijatra festival with a footfall of over 50 lakh and business of over ` 8 crore registered last year.