Bhubaneswar, Sept. 28: Indigenous creations of Odia craftsmen are on display for collectors and those looking for artistic home decor at a handicrafts fair here.

Organised by the handicraft and textiles department, 'Utkarsh' is already drawing huge crowds.

Those making it to the fair are spoilt for choice.

One can pick up a terracotta vases painted in bright colours to deck up the drawing room. Showpieces such as abstract forms of ants, elephants and other animals, as well as terracotta masks, stand out at the fair. Items made of coir, jute and other grass fibres are also on sale. Dokra crafts as wall hangings or utility items such as photo frames and cardholders are also attracting visitors.

Painters from tribal and rural areas have brought tribal art and traditional paintings such as pata chitra and palm-leaf paintings. Some have given a new twist to the traditional form by using a variety of themes, such as images from ancient Egypt, but created with elements of traditional Odia painting.

"We are trying to add versatile themes to traditional art. If the buyers appreciate it, we can use more such themes. There is always demand for authentic Odia paintings and we experiment only with a small section of our products," said an artist.

Apart from decorative art and crafts, weaves from many west Odisha districts are part of the event. The handloom of Cuttack, Nayagarh and tribal shawls and stoles of Nabarangpur, Koraput are also available at the event in which over 10 districts are taking part.

"We have stalls from government brands such as Boyanika, Sambalpuri Bastralaya, Amlan and Utkalika. Around 11 handloom societies and 11 artisans who have brought their handicrafts are also taking part," said officer in charge of the exhibition Surendra Kumar Nanda.

The fair, which was inaugurated on September 23 as part of World Tourism Day celebrations, will continue till October 4.