Bhubaneswar, June 7: The textile department would set up a roadside amenity centre at Pipili here that would serve as a one-stop destination for travellers.

At the centre, kiosks would sell the state's traditional fabrics. A food court would also be there, offering delectable dishes from across the state. "A lot of people travel to Puri throughout the year and most of the them make a pit stop at Pipili to buy some appliqué works. So, we thought of utilising the high tourist flow in the area to promote the state's handloom," said textile department joint secretary Raja Parija.

The centre will also provide facilities such as parking lot, restrooms, petrol pump and a garage. "Through this project, we have tried to link tourism with handloom. It would not only help popularise the various fabrics and the weavers from the state, but also attract more tourists," said textile minister Snehangini Churia.

Tourists can shop for various hand-woven textiles such as the famous ikat silk and the Berhampuri pata. One can also get the Bomkai cotton saris from Ganjam, Kotpad from Koraput and the Khandua style of fabrics. "The primary aim is to ensure that visitors interact with the local weavers so that they get an opportunity to sell the products directly," said Parija.

The food court would offer popular items, including mudhi-mansa, various types of pithas and a host of tribal delicacies such as machha patra poda and baunsa poda mansa.

The history of the state will be portrayed through representational art works at the centre. Focus will be put on decorating the place to present a feel of various facets of the state, including tribal dances, Odissi dance and native musical instruments.

A one-acre plot has been earmarked for the project. "We will hold meetings with weavers from various districts and rope in renowned artists, so that they could sell their traditional artworks, including the ones made from bamboo and horn art," Parija said.