Manish Kumar
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, April 18: Tourists from across the world have been known to visit Orissa to experience its centuries-old temples, rich cultural diversity, stunning natural beauty and its magnificent architectural marvels scattered across the state. But of late, there has been a discernible trend of visitors expressing keen interest in a tour of the state’s textiles and handicrafts circuit.
There is an increasing number of tourists keen on acquiring more knowledge on how these innovative, unique handicrafts and textiles are prepared. It is now becoming an increasingly common sight to see visitors visiting far-flung textile villages, all in an effort to better understand the manufacturing process of the products that they so love.
“This is my third trip to Orissa in two years. I had already visited Puri, Konark and other famous sites of the state so I decided to take a trip to some of the textile villages of Orissa like Nuapatna, Gopalpur and Sagarpali in order to know how the famous handlooms and handicrafts are actually produced. I was flummoxed to see the huge amount of effort that weavers put in to bring out a piece of cloth,” said Vanshika Roy, a corporate communications professional from Kolkata.
Like Vanshika, there are many who now prefer to take a textile tour rather than visiting the famous hotspots of the state. Sasanka Sekhar Rath, tourist officer from the state tourism department, says there is a rise in enquiries relating to textile sites in the state.
“I have been witnessing a surge in the number of enquiries for textile sites in the state. Many people now prefer to take a tour to such places as it is a unique experience in itself. Many people through these trips get to know how the whole industry works. Many visitors start with villages where fabrics are made through silkworm naturally and go on to see how they are weaved, tied, dyed and brought to the market. Textile tourism has huge potential in the state,” Sasanka said.
Meanwhile, travel and tour operators in the city are buoyed by the response they have been garnering from domestic and international tourists. Many of them have been coming out with lucrative offers for textile tourism for interested parties depending upon their budget.
“Textile tourism has got a strong impetus in the last two years. I have come across many interested parties who are keen on visiting textile villages. This is beneficial for both weavers and tourists. Through these trips, tourists get a unique memorable experience of a one-on-one interaction with weavers who toil hard in their villages to produce their products. Meanwhile, weavers also get good profits as no middlemen are involved in the process. The benefits meanwhile also descend on the local shopkeepers, hotels, restaurants and tour operators,” says Sarat Acharya, member of the Orissa Travel Operators Association. Sarat runs a tour and travel firm near Tankapani.
The state government meanwhile is also trying to project the textile villages as potential tourist destinations for the visitors. Orissa Post on April 16 reported the move of the textile department to develop six textile clusters on the lines of the famous Raghurajpur village (craft heritage village). The department had identified Maniabandha, Gopalpur, Sagarpali, Bargarh, Berhampur and Patnagarh to develop these places as potential textile villages.
