Visitors at the Cotton Fab 2011 at Exhibition Ground in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, April 20: People in the capital are turning to cool cotton and khadi garments in anticipation of a scorching summer. As a result, Cotton Fab India, a handloom fair that is on at the Exhibition Ground here, is drawing hordes of people.

Varieties of cotton garments from different parts of the country have been displayed at the fair. Chudidar suits adorning borders of handloom laces, plain kurtas, short and long tops and striped as well as closely spun uni-coloured shirts can be found.

Similarly, printed cotton kurtis with embellishments, light as well as brightly shaded saris with impressive patterns are also available. The cottons have been brought here by weavers from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and so on.

“Khadi kurtas and shirts in a wide variety of shades have been brought from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

But that is not all that the exhibition offers.

An array of handlooms from different states is attracting visitors. Fascinating patterns on Chanderi saris, bagh-print suits, batik suits and tops, fulkari dresses and dress materials from Madhya Pradesh and kosha sarees with tribal prints from Chhattisgarh are available here at affordable prices.

One can also find Rajasthani kota saris and bandhni dress materials, Bombay chikan shirts, kurtis, saris, Pochampalli saris from Andhra Pradesh, handloom from Jammu and Kashmir. Visitors can be seen choosing and bargaining for the fabric and handicrafts of their choice.

“I found many options in kurtis and footwear. The collection in furnishings is also impressive, especially the curtains, bed sheets and cushions,” said Bandita Das, a visitor.

“I collected a couple of khadi long kurtas and cotton shirts to wear on days when the temperature is really high,” said Sudhir Nayak.

The 17-day fair is already pulling good footfalls, say members of the Ayushi Crafts and Weavers’ Promotion Society, Bhopal, which has organised the exhibition.

“The response has been encouraging right from the first day. We have organised the exhibition for the first time in Bhubaneswar,” said Anurag Mishra, president of the society.

“The sale is at its peak in the evening. There is a high demand for handicraft products in this city,” said a khadi garment craftsman Adyacharan Upadhyay from Meerut.

The fair began on April 16 and is on until May 2.