Post News Network
Cuttack, April 7: The ongoing Baisakhi Banijya Mela has spread cheer around the silver city.
A large number of people are visiting the fair, being held at Baliyatra Ground. According to the organisers, the mela is a success this year as participants from New Delhi, Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Rajastahan, Punjab and Gujarat are showcasing their products. The fair has everything: From joy rides to snacks, handloom and handicraft items, furniture, textile and jewellery among other things.
Handloom products, fancy home décor items, jewellery and other fashion accessories such as Punjabi lac bangles, tribal ornaments and iron products from West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and other handicrafts are on display.
The fair exhibits and sells various products right from sculptures, painting to crafts and wood carvings. The stalls have items like bandhani from Gujarat, woodwork from Kashmir, oxidised jewellery from Rajasthan, textiles with chikankari work from Lucknow, fabric and sandalwood from South India on display. Artificial jewellery, bags and footwear are also sale. Stalls from Hyderabad have showcased sandalwood products, designer candles and pure incense sticks. Furniture, coolers, pickles, terracotta items, footwear, kitchen products are on display at the fair.
‘‘The feel and look of the mela is positive and colourful. During Banijya Mela, we get an opportunity to buy a wide range of handicrafts under one roof,’’ said Mayaram K, a visitor.
Women can be spotted buying Lucknow mulberry silk sarees. Jewellery made from precious stones from Rajasthan are a big draw. At the Punjab stall, colourful showpieces, bags, earrings and hair bands are available. Stalls offering Rajasthani food are the most sought after spots for visitors. Many food lovers can be seen enjoying ethnic dishes of the desert land.
Stalls offering Oriya cuisine including Baripada mudhi mutton, Cuttack’s dahibara, Kendrapara’s rasabali and Dhenkanal’s biri-bara drew a large number of visitors. Banijya Mela also provides opportunities to artistes, craftsmen and traders who do not have permanent kiosks to showcase their products.
Over 350 stalls are offering a wide range of products at the week-long fair. The objective of the fair is to create a platform for cottage industries to interact with large-scale government undertakings, financial institutions and target audience, said one of the organisers.
