ORMAS to set up 420 stalls in Pallishree Mela at Baliyatra this year

As many as six producer groups including four from Cuttack and one each from Puri and Jagatsinghpur will provide net, cotton and jute bags at Pallishree Mela.

Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS)

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) will set up at least 420 stalls at the national-level Pallishree Mela during Baliyatra festival, set to commence from November 27 here. Art and crafts along with an array of handlooms, handicrafts, agri-horticulture value-added products, authentic spices of women producers and artisans from across 30 districts of Odisha and 22 other states like Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Manipur, Tripura, and Chhattisgarh will be showcased at the Pallishree Mela.

The design of ORMAS pavilion
replicating the Sun Temple

“The major objective of organising the Pallishree Mela is to promote authentic rural products of women artisans hailing from different parts of the country. Apart from providing a platform for rural artisans and producers to market their produce in urban markets, the fair aims at strengthening the rural economy and promote rural art and craft,” said joint CEO of ORMAS Cuttack Bipin Rout.

The rural artisans will be able to not only display and sell their products but also avail ample space for knowledge sharing, increasing bargaining power and better price realisation for their products at the fair, he said.  This year, ORMAS in collaboration with the district administration will set up a control room resembling the Sun Temple of Konark.

The replica of Sun Temple measuring 50 feet by 50 feet will have three rooms for office, coordination, information centre and conference hall for conducting workshops and meetings. The construction of the structure has already been started by Bhubaneswar-based Pinky Tent House.

This year, ORMAS has taken the eco-friendly initiative of replacing plastic cups with earthen ones sourced from women producer groups of Dampada block in Cuttack district. As many as six producer groups including four from Cuttack and one each from Puri and Jagatsinghpur will provide net, cotton and jute bags at Pallishree Mela.  

Like every year, the food pavilion of ORMAS will be a major attraction for revellers. The 30 stalls to be set up at the fair will offer delicacies from Odisha, Rajasthan, Punjab and North-Eastern states. “Last year, the national-level Pallishree Mela had registered sales of `24.56 crore and we are expecting to make sales of `35 to `40 crore this year,” said Rout.