Visitors at Pallishree mela in Kendrapara. Telegraph pictures

Kendrapara, Oct. 29: For 45-year-old artisan Surendra Mahakud, it was the first trip to Kendrapara. The artisan from Rairakhol in Sambalpur district did not know the visit to Kendrapara would give him a great exposure to showcase his handicrafts.

Mahakud’s trip to Kendrapara was sponsored by the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Sambalpur. The week-long state-level fair Pallishree Mela in Kendrapara gave him an opportunity to display his stone-cut sculptures of various shapes and sizes. His creative and artistic crafts have won appreciation from various quarters.

Reasonably priced, the sculptures have been selling like hot cakes. The sculptor from the western part of Orissa expects to leave home a happy man in a couple days when the fair would come to an end.

The state-level Pallishree Mela has provided platform to hundreds of rural artisans from across the state to market their crafts. Many of the artisans have their stocks already exhausted as local residents, on buying spree, make a beeline to the handicraft kiosks.

“We attempt to expose our rural handicrafts to commercial market through this fair. The Orissa Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) has held such fairs in different parts of the state as part of its ‘mass marketing mission’ to provide exposure to the rural artisans,” said Subal Kumar Jena, chief executive, ORMAS.

“The Pallishree Mela provides a conducive platform to rural artisans who are being assisted as part of different poverty alleviation and economic uplift schemes. It’s an opportunity for them to display their products. The week-long fair has been a success as it has brought artisans from both the coastal and western parts of the state under a single marketing umbrella. It has turned out to be a venue of unique cultural exchange among artisans of different parts of the state,” Jena added.

More than one-third of the 92 kiosks in the fair display products from places such as Rairakhol, Sambalpur, Subarnapur, Bargarh and Jharsuguda in western Orissa. Like stone sculptor Surendra Mahakud, the fair has provided most artisans with good business opportunity. Many visitors have come to see and buy their exhibits.

“We have exhibited images and portraits of Hindu gods and goddesses. These are mostly made from paddy grains and framed in glass. The decorative pieces have attracted visitors to the fair. Sale of our products has well crossed our expectation,” said Ashutosh Bebarta, an artisan from Subarnapur.

“Our stocks would also get exhausted soon. We did not bring enough crafts as we never imagined that our produces would be in such demand. We are looking forward to next year’s fair. Besides, we have received bulk orders from local traders against advance payment,” Bebarta added.

“The Palishree Mela has added flavour to the Laxmi Puja festivity. I have purchased decorative household items. Besides, I bought pickles, papads from kiosks of women’s self-help groups,” said Sujata Mohanty, a college student.