Bhubaneswar, Jan. 28: The ongoing National Handloom Expo on Exhibition Ground has brought an assembly of weavers and their intricately-created handloom products to the city from all over the country.

The woven and manually-spun traditional Indian textiles are leaving the buyers spoilt for choice.

Sequined patterns on skirts and salwars at kiosks from Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh are finding great following among young girls while ethnic designs of saris and dress material from various states and different regions of Odisha are popular among women.

Kantha-stitched saris from Bengal, tussar from different silk-weaving districts of Odisha, Chanderi from Madhya Pradesh and Chikan work of Lucknow are some of the handlooms in demand at the expo. However, nothing beats the Sambalpuri patta saris. Visitors from within the city and outside appear to be delighted to have found a wide array of designs, patterns, fabrics and various price ranges in Samabalpuri sari at the handloom fair.

One of the major attractions, as always, at the fair is the Kashmiri handloom. Many kiosks from Kashmir offer the finely-embroidered pashmina shawls that are in demand throughout the year. This year, Kashmiri weavers have also got Kani shawls that display gorgeous needlework and then there are saris made of different materials such as georgette, chiffon, crepe and silk.

“We are glad that tweed coats made of pure wool are also finding popularity here. People in Bhubaneswar are appreciating our handloom. But we hope the sale goes higher,” said P.K. Chadha, marketing officer of Poshish of the Jammu and Kashmir State Handloom Corporation.

Apart from garments, visitors are also going for furnishings, especially the fascinating collection of drapery that is available at the expo. Mostly from north Indian states, the handloom curtains indeed exhibit a touch of luxury in the appearance and have caught the eye of buyers.

“This year, there is great variety in curtains and drapery. The fabric looks finely made and the designs are very stylish,” said Sabita Kundu, a homemaker, who did a lot of shopping at the fair.

The exhibition began on January 18 and will continue till February 10. This will give an opportunity for buyers from different segments to take time and choose what they like most, said Manmohan Ray, event manager for Boyanika, the state handloom brand that is organising the fair. To attract crowd, the fair displays a huge pavilion designed in the form of the Dhauli peace pagoda. Weavers from Odisha are also showcasing live demonstration of looms here.