The Sisir Saras fair in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 13: Sisir Saras fair of rural products and the National Film Festival on Art and Artists concluded on Monday here.

While craftsmen from rural India showcased wares at Sisir Saras on Exhibition Ground on all the 11 days and did brisk business, the National Film Festival on Art and Artists hosted by Jatin Das Centre of Arts (JDCA) pulled film lovers of all generations to the Idcol auditorium.

A range of craft items, fabrics and edible products made in villages of 21 states of India and all 30 districts of Odisha were displayed at the grand fair of handloom and handicrafts.

Around 467 groups displayed their unique artefacts and creations at the exhibition that had 274 kiosks. Hosted by the ministry of rural development, the major attractions of the event were paper mache products, especially lamps from Pondicherry, wrought iron and tussar of Chhattisgarh, cane and bamboo works from Assam, woollen items and artificial flowers from Manipur and many more from other regions.

Sundays, in particular, saw footfall of five lakh people throughout the day. Residents of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack collected items of rural Odisha such as dry fish, spices, pickles, Kendujhari phula badi and others. The overall sale generated during the exhibition was about Rs 6.5 crore official sources said.

At the JDCA’s festival, young and veteran filmmakers and viewers savoured a series of documentaries and films as well as talks and discussions with noted directors. The film festival conducted its eight edition this year.

Forty films and documentaries revolving around folk and tribal art and culture were screened during the three-day fest the highlights of which included talks by revered director Gautam Ghose and actress Nandita Das. Films on poet Sitakanta Mahapatra, artist Shuva Prasanna and on art and tribal lifestyle won appreciation of the viewers. A filmmaking workshop using DSLR cameras was also conducted by renowned personality Nandan Saxena.

The event also included a miniature exhibition of tribal handloom, paintings and metal crafts as well as books on folk rituals and issues faced by tribal communities.

“This festival is an event to remind our people of the beauties and wisdom of folk and tribal cultures while also celebrating art forms including film making. Many of our artistes and friends left us last year. We missed Jai Chandiram and Rabindranath Sahu on this occasion and hence dedicated sessions of the event to them,” said Biren Das, festival director.