BARGARH :Sarees designed by renowned designers under Design Reference Collection (DRC) of Odisha Handloom project of Sambalpuri Bastralaya Handloom Cooperative Society Limited, Bargarh have created a niche among high end clientele and in international market.
In a bid to address the problems faced by the handloom industry, the project was implemented under the Diversified Handloom Scheme of State Government during 2010-2013. The project aimed at boosting the quality of fabrics, range and varieties with promotion of regional designs besides providing an impetus to the growth of handloom products. The project targeted to meet the demand of local, national and international markets besides improving skills of weavers in Odisha and creating more employment opportunities in the sector.
The design consultant team headed by Rita Kapur Chishti with support from eminent designers Rajesh Pratap Singh, Anjali Kalia, Rakesh Kumar Thakore and Bibhu Mohapatra had developed 165 product samples. Later, these were transformed into saree designing by potential handloom clusters of the State including Bargarh, Sonepur, Nuapatna, Raghunathpur (Cuttack), Khurda, Jagatsinghpur and Gopalpur (Jajpur) having traditional base for handloom fabric production.
Of 165 product samples, weavers under Bargarh handloom cluster have transformed 105 samples into designer sarees while the rest 60 samples are being transformed into sarees by the other handloom clusters.
Marketing Officer of Sambalpuri Bastralaya Hemanta Mishra said the designer sarees were introduced in the market in October, 2012 at Crafts Museum, Pragati Maidan in New Delhi and they have sold about 2,800 sarees at about Rs 85 lakhs till March, 2014. The sarees are also sold in outlets of Sambalpuri Bastralaya in Mumbai, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar and Bargarh besides handloom exhibitions across the country, he informed.
Mishra said after successful implementation DRC project, Sambalpuri Bastralaya has created high end customers in the State and outside and is also able to create a brand name.
