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BHUBANESWAR: Masterpieces from clay are worth a sight, as artisans from various parts of Orissa are here for Mruttika 2017 – an exclusive terracotta craft exhibition that got off to a promising start at the Exhibition Ground Wednesday. Sources from the handicrafts department said they expected a turnover of over a crore from this edition of the exhibition, which concludes October 17. An annual terracotta fair, Mruttika is organised by the Directorate of Handicrafts and Cottage Industries. The eightday fair will witness participation of 175 artisans from across the state. The expo was inaugurated by state minister for handloos, textiles and handicrafts, Snehangini Chhuria. Artisans from 20 districts, mainy from Jajpur, Keonjhar, Balasore, Subarnapur, Baragarh, Rayagada, Khurda, Sambalpur, Balangir, Cuttack, Sundarargarh,
Nabarangpur and Nayagarh — are taking part in the fair. About 80 stalls are operational at the venue. Clay artworks — bells, candle stands, wall hangings, lamp shades, ornament boxes and containers of different shapes and sizes — are featured at the fair. Handmade terracotta items, earthen vases and traditional vessels also found their slots at the fair. The exhibition witnessed commendable footfall on the first day, and visitors appreciated the items on sale. Artisan Dolamani Rana from Baragarh showcased a variety of colourful earthen lamps. “Very few days are left for Diwali and people will surely go for these lamps. They are priced between `10 and `2,500 based on their size,” said Rana under whom more than 10 artisans are at work to craft the lamps. The handicrafts department has been conducting the exhibition since 2006 with the aim to provide artisans, self-help groups and cooperative societies with a platform to showcase their products and to create a market for such crafts. “The department is providing support to help the handicrafts sector grow by organising such exhibitions. Such inititatives encourage artisans to produce terracotta items and create opportunities for self-employment,” said minister Chhuria. “The government is providing promotional support for the growth of the handicrafts sector by organising such exhibitions. Besides, online marketing has been introduced through ‘Utkalika’ for marketing such products,” the minister said. This apart, a design cell is established at the handicrafts complex, Gandaminda Bhubaneswar, with technical support from the National Institute of Design (NID) to provide regular design input. A regional handicrafts training and design centre has been established at Balaosre for providing design-related training to new artisans so that the tradition of terracotta lives on. Artisan Ayodhya Rana from Keonjhar said he has been participating in the exhibition since its inception and is quite satisfied with the support the government has been extending to this fair. “I have done good business at each of the exhibitions held over the last ten years. I hope to do so this year also,” he said. Terracotta is one of the famous handicrafts segment in Orissa. Some of the terracotta crafts pockets in the state are Subarnapur, Bargarh are Keonjhar. Several terracotta artists of the state are winners of numerous national-level awards, besides state-level awards.
