Bhubaneswar: The “Subhadra Shakti Mela 2025”, Odisha’s signature exhibition celebrating women’s entrepreneurship, has taken on a truly national dimension this year.
Women entrepreneurs from nine other states—Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, West Bengal, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Assam—are participating alongside Odia artisans, turning the fairground into a vibrant tapestry of India’s art, craft, and culture.
Adorned with colourful stalls and handcrafted treasures, the exhibition ground is offering visitors a mini-India experience, where the blend of regional traditions and contemporary creativity is drawing thousands daily. Odisha’s traditional handicrafts continue to be a major draw, while products from other states are equally captivating city residents.
By the third day, each state’s pavilion had emerged as a crowd-puller with its unique cultural offerings—Punjab’s phulkari textiles, Jharkhand’s tassar silk and flower vases, Telangana’s ikat, Assam’s eri silk, Chhattisgarh’s mulberry silk and jamdani sarees, Gujarat’s khadi cotton, Madhya Pradesh’s chanderi and zari-work sarees, and West Bengal’s batik sarees, designer blouses, and terracotta jewelry. Together, these exhibits have drawn enthusiastic buyers, pushing total sales past ₹1.02 crore by the end of Day 3.
Adding to the fair’s festive ambience, evening cultural programs are lighting up the venue. The traditional Ranapa dance by Har Gouri Ranapa Nritya Parishad, a paired conch performance, and soulful music by vocalist Ashutosh Mohanty and his team have enthralled audiences, infusing the fair with rhythm, colour, and cultural pride.
