National handloom expo kicks off in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: With an aim to give the young designers a platform to showcase their talents, the 14th National Handloom expo kicked off at the Exhibition Ground here last evening.

Inaugurating the annual event, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said, “It is a great platform for designers across the country and every year designers are coming with better products.”

Weavers from 16 States such as West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana and Gujarat came to participate at the expo this time. Around 100 stalls have come up at the venue displaying a wide range of handloom materials

This year, a theme pavilion has been created keeping the upcoming Nabakalebara at Puri in view. To give visitors a great time, several cultural programmes are lined up along with various food joints. About 18 weavers were awarded yesterday for showing excellence in designing various handloom items.

The annual expo is a great platform for not only displaying various creations but also helps in exchanging ideas and knowing the taste of different customers who come to visit the fair. The expo, which will continue till March 1, is being organized by the Textile and Handloom department of Odisha.