A trader displays her wares at the Northeast Crafts Bazaar in Bhubaneswar.

The fair has provided the artisans a platform to promote their works among customers here.

Anima Saikia, who has come Assam to take part in the fair, is exhibiting creations that take the art of making bamboo crafts to a level of excellence. The trade is practised as a household industry in her state. Saikia and all the female members of her family use bamboo to produce fine items such as decorative baskets, furniture and mats.

"We do not use any mechanical device and make everything by hand. It provides us employment and has made us financially independent," she said.

Anima also said the craft-making process required little investment to manufacture new products suited to modern tastes.

The fair is brimming with unique and handcrafted items made from cane, bamboo furniture and other home décor items from Assam, dry flowers from Nagaland, mats and cushions from Manipur, incense sticks from Tripura and wood carving from Meghalaya.

In the handloom section, women can pick from the popular mekhla saris and stoles that cost between Rs 800 and Rs 1,000.

Dolls made of straw and ornaments made from cane, bamboo, glass beads and silver have also added colour to the exhibition.

Organised by Northeastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation Limited, the fair aims to give artisans an opportunity to interact directly with the customers.

It has already begun to attract a large number of visitors.

Wall hangings with frames made from cane are a particularly popular attraction among the visitors. "We have pictures of gods and goddesses canvassed in contemporary styles. Also, flora and fauna are painted to suit modern tastes," said Papan Das, an artisan from Tripura.

Several kiosks for demonstration have also been set up where traditional artisans are showcasing the nuances of the trade.

"The variety in home décor is really good. These items are ideal to add a rustic charm to the home," said 28-year-old homemaker Susmita Das.

The exhibition, which is hosting more than 60 kiosks on Exhibition Ground, will end on October 31.

Text by Anwesha Ambaly,Picture by Ashwinee Pati