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Bhubaneswar: Sometime back, a plateful of yummy Chat at his road side makeshift stall tricked the taste buds of many. Now, his attractive crafts on bamboos are a treat for the eyes.
Meet 40-year-old Sudarshan Sahoo who once sold Chat at a road side stall in the Capital city to make a living. Thanks to the long pandemic-induced lockdowns, Sahoo, as he stands now after a year, has morphed into a well-known bamboo artisan in the city.
Sahoo said he had persuaded a passion for art and crafts since his childhood days. However, lack inspiration and financial crisis forced him to look for alternative means of sustenance, before he ended up selling Chat by roadside in Bhubaneswar.
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His strong will to infuse life in dead bamboos did not take off as he didn’t find time from his hectic professional schedule. However, the lockdown which proved a bane for many came as a blessing for him, as he says. As he got enough time at home due to the restriction on vending of street food, he braced up to give shape to his forgotten artistic skills.
Within days, he curated marvelous crafts, including miniature houses, temples and several others home decorating articles using bamboo as the basic raw. There was no looking back. Sahoo’s humble dwelling is now marked by steady flow art lovers every day.
Sahoo said her got immense support from his family members to create the articles.
“I was initially reluctant for the art and craft business due to its low returns. But, subsequently I was motivated when I saw customers showering praises on him for his talent,” said Sudarshnan’s wife.
“I also assist him in his work as much as I can even though I can’t create masterpiece like him,” she added.
Sudarshan had once visited the Exhibition ground at Unit 3 in Bhubaneswar in 2006 and bargained prices with a vendor for a bamboo craft. Though it was priced very high, the vendor refused any cut on prices for the article and even taunted him if he could create such piece on his own.
“I quietly left the place and worked dedicatedly to bring my latent skill out. Lockdown also gave me an opportunity to carry forward my passion,” said a determined Sudarshan.
