Time to shop for exquisite crafts items at Toshali fair

BHUBANESWAR: If you are looking forward to dressing up in Chikankari salwars from Lucknow and Madhubani sarees from Bihar and give a makeover to your house with dokra craft items and elegant furniture from Saharanpur,the wait is over. All you have to do is visit the 9th Toshali Craft Fair to be held on Janata Maidan from December 15.
More than 200 craftsmen from across the country will participate in the fair.Lifestyle and hand made couture products from different states can be found at the 13-day fair.
The focus this year is on the 4,000-year-old metal and dokra craft. A special theme pavilion — ‘Magic in Metal’ — will be set up to showcase the evolution in the craft and its modern look.
Boyanika, the apex society of traditional weavers, will hold a special fashion show in association with the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), which will be a major attraction of the fair, official sources said.
Reviewing the preparations of the national crafts fair, handloom and textiles minister Snehangini Chhuria said, “Several committees have been formed to make all the arrangements for the fair. This year, we have targeted business worth Rs 10 crore and over 12 lakh visitors at the fair.” She said business worth Rs 7.5 crore was done during the 13-day fair last year.
A total 350 kiosks will be set up on the fairground including handlooms, handicrafts, and a food court. Glittering cultural shows by Bollywood actors and noted folk and traditional artists will be held every evening. Facilities like ATM counter, wheelchairs, ambulance, and fire services will be available on the ground.
Cane and bamboo weaves from the northeast and Jharkhand and embroidery from Lucknow and Gujarat besides a host of lifestyle products such as elegant Saharanpur furniture from Uttar Pradesh can be found at the fair.
Exquisite chikankari salwar kurta ensembles and saris, phulakri from Punjab, oxidized jewellery, sea-shell decorations, toys made of wood and cane, kalamakari from Andhra Padesh, madhubani from Bihar and so on will attract crowds to the fair, officials said.