Women check out products at a Mahila Udyog Mela stall in Patna on Thursday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Feb. 16: Good news for Patnaites. The state capital may soon get a Patna Haat on the lines of Dilli Haat.

Industries minister Renu Kumari Kushwaha made the announcement while inaugurating the five-day 17th Annual Mahila Udyog Mela today.

Dilli Haat, for instance, is a permanent emporium for handicrafts in Delhi. While there are some permanent shops at the Haat, others are temporary stalls allotted to different artisans on rotational basis. In Dilli Haat, artisans have to pay a fixed rent to get a stall for at least 15 days.

Kushwaha said: “We are searching for a suitable location according to our criteria. The land must be between two and five acres. Besides, it has to be in some prime location.”

Bihar Mahila Udyog Sangh has organised its annual mela on the ground in front of DAV, BSEB school. Artisans from Faizabad, Varanasi, Calcutta, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Karachi and other places have put up around 200 stalls.

But the centre of attraction is stall number 99. Aishle, the stall owner, has come all the way from Karachi. He said: “We have dress materials, saris and suit pieces with traditional gota patti and phulkari designs. Saris with tola work, (a traditional design in which silver foil is used) in the price range of Rs 4,000 and Rs 8,000, and kundan jewellery between Rs 1,000 and Rs 15,000 are on offer.”

Residents were visibly excited to see wha was on store for them at the stall. One of them, Madhu Srivastava, a homemaker, said: “The saris at this stall are beautiful. I don’t mind spending some extra money as the quality and designs are great.”

Pallav Chandra, the former design director of a leading menswear brand, who has put up a stall, said: “I was associated with the corporate sector for 30 years. But in 2010, I got involved with artisans and weavers. My stall offers suits, saris and stoles with block print and embroidery.”

Some state- and national-level awardees, too, are taking part in the fair. Stall number 115 owner Ashok Kumar Biswas has a number of awards, including a state award and Kalashree Award (a national award), to his credit. He is selling Tikuli art products like wall hangings, pen stands, table coasters and mobile phone stands. The fair also has an enviable collection of traditional Rajasthani products, including curios and dress materials.

Stalls selling pav bhaji, litti-chokha, chhole bhature and chaat are a hit among visitors.