Award-winning saris on display at the exhibition. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 22: Impressive creations from across the state by award winning-artisans are on display at an exhibition by the state government’s handloom brand, Boyanika, in the city.

The handloom exhibition that is under way since Monday, offers not only the most affordable traditional saris, but also an exclusive range of national and state award-winning couture handloom.

The collection showcased at the exhibition on at Boyan Bhavan includes striking fabrics and motifs. Different types of tussar, pure silk and cotton such as Bomkai, Nuapatna cotton, Khandua silk, silk Bomkai and tussar from Jajpur and west Odisha handlooms are on displayed. The patterns include the common temple and fish shaped borders and also an ensemble of novel designs.

A bed sheet exhibited here, for example, is a fascinating handloom work that has finely crafted a scene of a man cutting plants while there are trees being planted to save the environment.

Saris that have won national and state awards are also on display. In a sari priced Rs 1.65 lakh, craftsman Dayalu Meher has used temple art patterns, especially from the world-famous Konark temple. The intricate designs used in the sari titled Kalashiromani Devangana are inspired from the floral motifs on the temple’s walls known as lata and deuli that depict the ankle bells of danseuses.

“In between two such motifs, lie the designs of Konark wheels on the sari to glorify women’s powerful movements in dance. Lions on the sari represent the courage of women,” said the artisan.

In other award-winning saris, the expert artisans, with the complex use of looms, have printed beautiful fonts of Odia letters and lines, such as proverbs and poetry. One of these, a national-award winner, is the most expensive in the collection on display and is priced at Rs 1.8 lakh. After discounts offered by Boyanika, it comes to around Rs 1.3 lakh.

There is a special section dedicated to languishing fabrics where one can find saris such as Taapoi, Siminoi, Aradhana and Kotpad. Apart from saris, the exhibition also offers designer stoles of pure silk, tussar and Kotpad handloom. These come in the price range of Rs 700 to Rs 5,000. Suit materials, kurtis and shirts, dhotis and daily-use handloom are also available.

The wide range of stuff available is attracting buyers of all ages. “I loved the stoles available here, especially the ones in pastel hues,” said Smruti Parida, a visitor.

The authorities are glad with sale so far. “On the first and second days, we had a sales of Rs 2 lakh and Rs 3 lakh respectively. Though we had planned the exhibition for the festive season, Phailin hit during Dusherra and dashed our plans. But we are happy with the sales,” said Devaraj Sahoo, general manager and secretary of Boyanika.

On for a month, the handloom fair offers rebates of 20 per cent plus 10 per cent on every item.