Rural craftsmen at their creative best

Showcasing the exquisite handicrafts and handloom treasures of the country, the 10-day-long Sisir Saras national crafts fair began at the Exhibition Ground here on Thursday. Over 750 rural craftsmen and SHGs are participating in this year’s fair, being organised by Orissa Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS), and as many as 350 stalls have been set up for the  purpose.The special attraction in the national exhibition this year are the metal work products from Madhya Pradesh, wood crafts from Tamil Nadu, bamboo crafts from North East States, Madhubani paintings from Bihar, Dhokra from Chhattisgarh, shawls and carpets from Jammu and Kashmir and kantha stitch  from West Bengal. From Odisha, Sabai grass products, handloom from Boudh and Sonepur, Agarbati varieties, Pattachitra, Terracotta, Dhokra Casting, Applique works, artificial jewellery, tribal paintings are on display.Workshops on designing and packaging of the products are being organised for the artisans to enhance the marketability of their products.For the first time, a multi-cuisine food court has been set up in the exhibition area where Tandoori delights along with ethnic Odia cuisine like ‘Mudhi Mansa’ from Baripada, ‘Rasabali’ from Kendrapara, ‘Dahi Bara’ from Cuttack and much more are available. Cultural programmes showcasing traditional dance and music are the other attractions during the evenings.Inaugurating the exhibition, Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik said the objective of the national exhibition is to provide market linkage to the rural artisans who are struggling to find a better market and remunerative price for their products.The rural producers not only get remunerative price but the exhibition also provides an opportunity to them to have a direct contact with urban buyers. The exhibition would conclude on January 15.ORMAS, an autonomous organisation under Panchayati Raj department, has been providing marketing facility to the SHGs, rural artisans and craftsmen and BPL families through a chain of exhibitions organised across the State every year.