(Top) Visitors take a look at a sari and (above) some of the products on display at the district level handloom exhibition in Bhubaneswar. Pictures byAshwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, March 23: If there is one thing you should add to your wardrobe this summer, it’s hand woven fabrics in myriad hues and patterns.

A wide range of handloom products from various parts of the state are on sale at two dozen stalls at the week-long district-level handloom exhibition that opened at the Ekamra Haat here on Monday.

Sponsored by the development commissioner for handlooms, Government of India, and organised by the state textiles and handloom department, the exhibition-cum-sale has brought together weavers from almost every district.

Along with traditional motifs, weavers have incorporated mirror and sequin work into the fabrics to attract buyers.

Crowds are thronging the exhibition ground, milling around stalls that sell an exciting range of products from kandhei or puppet designs on saris and jhoti (or alpana) motifs on salwar kurtis to lungis and gaamchhas (towels). The popular Sambalpuri, Bomkai, Khandua Patta (used to dress up Lord Jagannath in Puri Temple), Badibaandha saris (both in silk and cotton) are also on sale. The stock includes Cuttacki and Berhampuri silk saris.

While the cost of saris start from Rs 600 and go up to Rs 9,000, salwar kurtis are priced between Rs 300 and Rs 3,000, depending on the amount of intricate work involved and the material.

Visitors are flitting from one stall to the other trying to make up their minds about what to buy and what to simply admire.

Schoolteacher Geetanjali Pradhan had come to the fair with her purse strings loosened.

“Many of the stall owners have come from interior areas; their exhibits have a unique touch. One is spoilt for choice with so many attractive designs on display. After the dress code was introduced for teachers, I have not had the opportunity to buy many good saris. Now, I am here to splurge,” she said.

Young girls, including many college-goers, were also spotted in large numbers.

“The intricately hand woven and hand printed handlooms are very attractive and unconventional. The stall owners are even offering discount on prices of diverse products. I have bought a couple of Sambalpuri salwar suit materials for myself,” said Shraddhanjali Mishra, a college student.The weavers seemed disappointed with the sales. “We have not been able to sell as much as we had expected. A bit more publicity and a better choice of venue would have definitely helped,” said one of the weavers.

“A lot of effort goes into making the handlooms which are in huge demand outside the state. We are hoping for better business in the remaining days,” said Gopal Meher, a weaver from Subarnapur.

The exhibition, which has participants from Khurda, Cuttack, Balangir, Balasore, Jajpur, Ganjam, Bargarh, Boudh and other districts, will conclude on March 28.