ORMAS Festive handloom fair opens in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: With Savitri Brata and Raja Parba approaching, the Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) has organised a special handloom exhibition-cum-sale fair in the capital city to promote traditional Odisha textiles and support rural artisans and weavers.

The “Savitri-cum-Raja Mahotsav Handloom Exhibition and Sale Fair–2026” was inaugurated on Friday at Utkal Kanika Galleria and will continue till June 14.

ORMAS Chief Executive Officer Monika Priyadarshini, while inaugurating the exhibition, said the initiative has been designed to create direct marketing opportunities for rural weavers and self-help groups while encouraging people to purchase authentic Odisha handloom products during the festive season.

The fair features a large collection of handwoven sarees including Sambalpuri, Bomkai, Kotpad, Habaspuri, Maniabandha, Ikat, Pattachitra and Tussar varieties. Visitors can also shop for dupattas, handloom dress materials, kurtis and other handcrafted products.

Artisans and weavers from several districts such as Bargarh, Sambalpur, Koraput, Kalahandi, Jajpur, Khordha, Cuttack, Balangir, Boudh, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur and Sonepur are participating in the exhibition.

Officials said the event allows artisans to interact directly with buyers, helping them secure better prices for their products without involvement of intermediaries.

The exhibition has been set up near the Food Court area of the mall and offers products across multiple price ranges to attract a wide range of customers.

Visitors can explore the fair every day from 11 AM to 9:30 PM. Digital payment facilities and customer assistance services have also been arranged at the venue.

ORMAS Additional CEO (Finance) Sanjeev Kumar Singh said such exhibitions play an important role in preserving Odisha’s handloom traditions while strengthening livelihoods of rural weaving communities across the state.