Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) on Friday launched a special handloom exhibition-cum-sale fair in the capital ahead of Savitri Brata and Raja Parba, aiming to provide direct market access to rural weavers and artisans across the state.
The “Savitri-cum-Raja Mahotsav Handloom Exhibition and Sale Fair–2026”, organised under the Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department, was inaugurated at Utkal Kanika Galleria in Bhubaneswar and will continue till June 14.
Inaugurating the pop-up handloom store, ORMAS Chief Executive Officer Monika Priyadarshini said the initiative would help promote Odisha’s rich handloom heritage while creating better income opportunities for rural weavers, self-help groups and artisans through direct sales.
She said visitors would be able to purchase a wide range of traditional Odisha handloom products during the festive season of Savitri Brata and Raja Parba.
The exhibition features an extensive collection of sarees, including Sambalpuri, Bomkai, Kotpad, Habaspuri, Pattachitra, Ikat, Maniabandha and Tussar varieties. Apart from sarees, dupattas, handloom suits, readymade kurtis and handkerchiefs are also available at the fair.
Weavers and artisans from districts such as Sonepur, Khordha, Cuttack, Kalahandi, Jajpur, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Koraput, Boudh, Balangir, Ganjam and Jagatsinghpur are participating in the exhibition.
Officials said the fair has been designed to enable artisans to sell their products directly to customers, reducing dependence on middlemen and helping them secure better returns for their work.
Handloom products ranging from affordable to premium segments are available for customers at the exhibition, which has been set up in front of the Food Court at Utkal Kanika Galleria.
The fair will remain open daily from 11 AM to 9:30 PM, with digital payment facilities and other customer amenities arranged at the venue.
ORMAS Additional CEO (Finance) Sanjeev Kumar Singh said the exhibition would further strengthen the promotion of Odisha’s traditional handloom sector and contribute to enhancing the livelihoods of rural artisans and weavers.
