Bhubaneswar, July 22: Gandhi Haat, an exhibition on khadi and small industries products, in Puri is drawing crowds in large numbers.

The village and khadi industries board is organising the fair near the sea beach.

The exhibition is an attempt by the government to endorse merchandise made from the traditional fabrics by the rural weavers of the state.

"A large number of rural people will congregate in Puri throughout the 11 days of the rath yatra. People from across the country and abroad are visiting the holy town. This would be the best time to promote our khadi products that have been lagging behind on the popularity scale for quite sometime," said board president Tejeswar Parida.

Around 50 kiosks showcasing khadi apparels, fabrics and saris, along with cottage-industry products, have been set up at the fair. Weavers and craftsmen from various districts across the state have taken part in the fair. A few craftsmen from neighbouring states have also set up kiosks.

An array of stylish garments made from khadi fabrics such as cotton, linen, tussar and silk are being displayed at the kiosks.

A trader said silk and tussar saris were quite in demand, especially among foreigners.

A few saris have tales related to the Nabakalebar printed on them.

"We have khadi saris on which rural weavers have made interesting patterns related to the festival. There is a lot of enthusiasm among buyers for such products, as this is something that would not be available anywhere else in the world," said Chandra Biswal, a weaver from Sundargarh.

Traditional handicraft items made from horns, straws and brass are also catching eyes. The crafts items, especially the pattachitra of Lord Jagannath, are quite popular.

Brand ambassadors of the khadi board - Odia film stars Akash Das Nayak, Sabyasachi Mishra, Archita Sahu, and Anu Choudhury - will visit Puri and talk to the customers about the importance of khadi.

Archita Sahu is supposed to visit the exhibition on Thursday.

The fair is on till July 30.