Boyanika employees display a sari at the handloom expo on Exhibition Ground. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 27: It is time to splurge again as the special handloom expo, which has started on the Unit-III Exhibition Ground yesterday, is offering handmade fabrics at attractive discounted prices.

The two-week exhibition has been organised by Boyanika under the aegis of the state handloom, textiles and handicrafts department.

The exhibition has 30-odd kiosks where sellers are representing various weaver co-operative societies coming from different districts.

The most spacious kiosk, however, has been given to Boyanika, which is offering an expansive range of saris, suits and bed sheets. Boyanika, which sold clothes worth about Rs 15 lakh in the last edition of the expo, hopes to cross the figure and make a new record this year.

“Sambalpuri saris and tussar silk products sell like hotcakes. Customers come looking for both simple and intricate motifs and they can find both in our kiosk,” said B.K. Sahoo, sales attendant of Boyanika.

Though most kiosks had regular products to offer, those who have brought new designs feel that their novelty will attract the buyers.

“I have brought exclusive range of tribal art saris,” said Tikebanta Meher, who came to the exhibition from Balangir.

Artisans said it took them up to 10 days to prepare a handmade sari the price of which ranged between Rs 3,000 and Rs 15,000. Apart from saris with beautiful block and flower prints, products such as stoles and towels are also much in demand.

Many kiosks are doling out discounts up to thirty per cent.

“The range of suits and saris are really enticing. One can really find it very difficult to pick and choose from all the brilliant textures from various districts. The quality of the fabrics is wonderful,” said Sunita Priya, a homemaker who visited the expo yesterday.

Taking lessons from the glitches in providing facilities such as drinking water and public convenience at the handloom expo on Janata Maidan in June this year, officials have this time taken care to provide the kiosk owners with all basic facilities.

Though the ladies were busy fishing through various attires, men accompanying them had not many options to choose from. “This exhibition is tailor made for women. Most of the kiosks have only salwar suits and saris. I could not find much varieties of shirts and trousers,” said Abhishek Shukla, a city-based dentist.