10th Toshali National Crafts Mela in Bhubaneswar from Dec 15
Bhubaneswar, Dec 12: Department, government of Odisha, artisans, weavers, painters and sculptors from all over the country will participate in this Crafts Mela and exhibit their traditional and contemporary handicraft and handloom products, said Handloom, Textile & Handicrafts Minister Smt. Snehangini Chhuria while briefing the media at a press conference here on Friday.
Speaking to media at a press conference held at I & PR Conference Hall this afternoon, Minister said, as an important cultural nerve centre of the country Bhubaneswar hosts the Toshali National Crafts Mela at Janata Maidan every year.
The crafts mela has already carved a unique niche of its own in the country’s Annual Carnival Calendar. The vision of the mela is;
To offer an open forum to artists, artisans and connoisseurs for interaction.
To strengthen the position of the weavers and artisans who are economically deprived by creating market for their products.
To preserve and nurture the traditional art forms, handicrafts and handlooms of India and
To create awareness and educate the people on the skills and creative intricacies involved in making the products.
With added expectation, this year the mela will accommodate 350 handicraft and handloom stalls. 150 artisans and weavers from different parts of the country and 200 artisans and weavers of the state will display and sale their products in the mela.
A food court having 30 food stalls set by exclusive hotels and restaurants will offer delicious multi cuisine foodstuffs to the visitors along with traditional Odia cuisine.
The mela will host cultural programmes each evening between 6 P.M. to 9.30 P.M., inviting eminent artists and troupes from different parts of the country as well as the state in collaboration with Odisha Sangita Natak Akademi, Culture Deptt. For the first time the mela will provide an unique opportunity to the public to enjoy the musical performance by young odia singer Ms. Anyanya Sritam Nanda the Indian Idol Junior Champion on 21st evening. Apart from that, Bollywood Singer Sadhna Sargam and Krishna Beura will perform on 20th & 25th December, 2015 respectively.
To add to the ambience, a theme pavilion “IKAT: Heritage Ethnic Wear” depicting IKAT weaving design tradition of the state is erected centrally which will tell the minute details of the making of the IKAT to finished products.
Government Educational Institutions/Organizations related to Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts sector namely NIFT, Bhubaneswar Indian Institute of Handloom Technology, Baragarh. Indian Institute of Textiles, Choudwar, ATDC Bhubaneswar, CET, Bhubaneswar and SIDAC will open their stalls for awareness and to address querries among the student community of the State about the scope
of Fashion/Textile education & Career opportunity offered in the said sectors.
Govt. of India organizations such as National Handloom Development Corporation, Textile Committee, Weavers Service Centre, GoI, DC (Handicrafts), Odisha chapter, will also participate in the fair to create awareness among the visitors on activities of these organizations.
To create awareness among the school children on our spectacular craft tradition, this year we have invited the Govt. Schools inside the City area for visit of their students to the Mela.
It is expected that around 13 lakh people will visit the mela this year and approximately merchandise worth Rs.15.00 crore will be sold. Last year the mela witnessed a foot fall of 11 lakh people and Rs.9.61 crore businesses was achieved.
The mela is scheduled to be inaugurated by Chief Minister, Odisha Sri Naveen Patnaik at 6.00 pm on 15th December, 2015 at Janata Maidan, Bhubaneswar in the presence of Minister H.T & H Smt.Snehangini Chhuria, Minister Tourism & Culture Sri Ashok Ch.Panda, M.P.Dr.Prasanna Patsani, MLA Sri Bijay Kumar Mohanty, MLA Sri Priyadarshi Mishra & Mayor Sri Anant Narayan Jena.
Life Time Achievement award and State Handicraft Award for the year 2012, 2013 & 2014 will be given to eminent handicraft artisans. Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Research Centre, Bhubaneswar will perform Odissi Group Dance in the inaugural evening.
The mela is being organized by Handlooms, Textiles & Handicrafts Department in association with Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, Govt.of India.
State Institute for Development of Arts & Crafts (SIDAC), Gandamunda, Bhubaneswar an autonomous institution under Handlooms, Textiles & Handicrafts Department, Govt. of Odisha is implementing this mega National level Crafts mela.
Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Smt.Chithra Arumugam, Joint Secretary & Chief Coordinating Officer for Toshali National Crafts Mela, Shri Raja Parija, Sri Govinda Chandra Biswal, Director of Textiles & Handooms, Odisha, Smt.Sanghamitra Kanungo, Director, Handicrafts & Cottage Industries, Odisha and other Senior Officers of the Department were present in the press conference.