BHUBANESWAR: Eager to know how exquisite tribal crafts and textiles are made? The National Tribal Craft Mela organised at the IDCO Exhibition Ground here is lending opportunity to tribal art and craft lovers to experience it live. The Mela has a special pavilion where weavers and artisans of 10 tribal communities are giving live demonstration of 12 different textile and handicraft works.
Visitors would be able to get live view of Bonda, Mirgan and Kulis textile works as well as lacquer craft of Santal and Bathudi, leaf craft of Bhumija and paddy craft of Bhottada tribe at the Mela. However, this is only a part of the week-long grand Mela, organised by the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institutes (SCSTRTI) and ST and SC Development department with support from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs from Saturday.
Visitors would also be able to buy exquisite tribal art and crafts, jewellery, textile, paintings and other products including textile from North East states, dokhra craft, iron craft and lacquer craft.Rare and unique products such as Lepcha traditional hat from Sikkim, priced around Rs 55,000 or Naikpod tribal art and craft products from Telangana, that cost Rs 120 to Rs 6,000, are also on display at the exhibition.
The Mela that concludes on April 29, has around 83 stalls in which over 200 tribal artisans have participated. Apart from Odisha, tribal artisans from 17 other States including Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and West Bengal have participated in the exhibition to showcase and sell their products. The exhibition timing is from 3.30 pm to 9.30 pm.
For the first time, paintings and crafts of tribal artists who participated in the State Level Tribal Painting and Craft Competition organised by the SCSTRTI has been displayed in the national-level exhibition.
SCSTRTI director AB Ota said the National Craft Mela has provided a platform to the tribal weavers and artisans to showcase their products as well as interact with artisans from other states. It has also given them a huge platform for marketing of their products.