Items from the northeast on sale in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, March 4: A wide range of craft items from the eight northeastern states is luring the city shoppers to splurge.

Organised by Northeastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation Limited, the crafts bazaar that commenced last Wednesday, is being held on Exhibition ground.

In the handicrafts section, one can find cane and bamboo furniture and home décor items from Assam, dry flowers from Nagaland, mats and cushions from Manipur, incense sticks of Tripura and wood carving of Meghalaya.

Apart from the northeastern states, one can also stumble upon works by artisans from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

“I have visited Odisha seven times and people here are very enthusiastic about the crafts of the northeast. On several occasions, I have received calls from Bhubaneswar asking if we do home delivery. Also, our nominal prices is another reason for shoppers to indulge,” said Kanu Kar, an artisan from Agartala. He has brought an expansive collection of incense sticks, herbal oils, room fresheners and handbags with motifs in stone colour inscribed on them. The beautiful items in jute, wood, shell and metals are finding many takers. The baskets and magazine holders made of bamboo and cane are equally pretty.

The fair offers many handloom options for the women customers to shop till they drop. The semi-silk saris of Assam that range rom anything between Rs 800 and Rs 1,000 and kurtis at a very economical price range are attracting them. The velvet jhootis are also available at a throwaway price.

In the accessories section, they can find earrings, necklaces and bangles.

“The variety is amazing. From adorning yourself to decorating your sweet home, the exhibition is a delight for any woman,” said Lipsa Moharana, a homemaker. The dry flowers meant for vases of various sizes range from Rs 10 to Rs 80 per stick. Shelves are also full of khadi shirts for men.

The fair aims to give artisans an opportunity to interact directly with the customers and explain their craft in detail to the visitors. “These saris are made by my mother and sister. It can take them a week to prepare a hand-woven sari. Such exhibitions help us promote your craft,” said Gautam Burman, a Guwahati based artisan.

The exhibition that is hosting more than 60 kiosks is on till March 12.