Sarees and dress materials of the oldest textile brand Boyanika on display at a shop in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, May 20: Boyanika, the oldest textiles brand created by the weavers of Orissa, completed 55 years earlier this month. During its journey, Boyanika has not only become a household name in the state but has also succeeded in drawing national attention to the uniqueness of Oriya handloom.

Representing the weavers’ cooperative societies of Orissa, the most important contribution of Boyanika has been the marketing of the state’s handloom.

“Launched under the textile and handloom development department of the state government, the aim of this initiative, 55 years ago, was to create a brand that would symbolise Oriya handloom,” said Debraj Sahoo, general manager-cum-secretary, Boyanika.

“At a time when the rich traditional textiles produced by our artisans were non-existent for the world outside Orissa, Boyanika successfully created a market for our handloom across the country and even abroad through showrooms and exhibitions,” he added.

Over the years, Boyanika evolved as an important body of weavers through development and research workshops at the grassroots level. Despite the ups and downs in sales figures, the initiative survived all odds and is thriving now, say officials.

“With the popularisation of polyster and other synthetic fabrics, people in the state diverted towards the cheaper options. But the intricate and immaculate patterns and techniques of weaving that are unique to Oriya weavers such as ikat, bomkai, patta and tassar, silk textiles never lost their charm for the market outside the state,” said Boyanika’s Bhubaneswar branch manager of Narayan Sahoo.

Artisans too seem content with the support that Boyanika has provided to them in the past few years.

“They pay us wages as well as the value for the yarn. We are given special training sessions on contemporary patterns and designs to attract end users across the globe,” says Suresh Meher, a weaver.

Offering a wide variety of choices in sarees, dress material for men and women, readymade khadi kurtas, salwars and even home furnishings, Boyanika has shown consistent growth over the last decade.

“Our profit margins increased drastically after implementing contemporary patterns. From sales worth Rs 1776.63lakh in 2007-08, it increased to Rs 2,500lakh in the past couple of years,” said Debraj Sahoo. The Boyanika showroom in Bhubaneswar held exhibitions and a special sale on the occasion of its 55th anniversary.