Sisir Saras kicks off in Odisha capital

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jan 4:

Sisir Saras, an exhibition of colourful rural products, began in the Odisha capital on Saturday evening.

The exhibition, organised by the Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS), in association with the Odisha Livelihoods Mission and the state Panchayati Raj department, will conclude on January 14.

Chief minister Naveen Pattnaik laid emphasis on elimination of the middlemen in sale of the products made by the rural artisans.

“Such events would establish a direct meet between the seller and the buyer”, he said.

The chief minister also urged upon the administration and concerned agencies to involve more numbers of SHGs (Self Help Groups) in such exhibitions to facilitate sale of their products.

The fair aims to alleviate poverty and encourage new technologies and business models among the state’s rural producers.

“The objective of the fair is to provide a platform to the rural producers and farmers to sale and display of their products”, said Panchayati Raj and Law minister Arun Kumar Sahoo.

Among others, Tourism and Culture minister Ashok Chandra Panda, Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Kumar Patasani, Bhubaneswar (Central) MLA Bijay Mohanty, Bhubaneswar (North) MLA Priyadarshi Mishra, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Panchayati Raj and ORMAS chairman DK Singh, CEO, Odisha Livelihood Mission cum additional secretary, Panchayati Raj, NVS Rajput and BMC Mayor Ananta Narayana Jena were present on the occasion.

Besides sale and purchase of various merchandises, the fair also organises a host of cultural shows including dances like Odissi, Gotipua, Manipuri, tribal and folk dance and Sambalpuri etc.

About 600 participants from 25 states and Union Territories have displayed their products in about 275 stalls.

The attractions for Sisir Saras this year are paper mache products from Pudicherry, wrought iron from UP, tussar of Chhattisgarh, cane and bamboo works of Assam and Tripura, woolen products of Manipur, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and J&K, jute products of West Bengal, silk from Varanasi, Chanderi silk of MP, dry flower from Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, home decorative items and shawls from Gujarat, leather shoes from Punjab and Rajasthan, Meenakari from Rajasthan, Madhubani painting from Bihar, Handlooms from Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, and terracotta, tribal jewellery, dhokra casting, cotton handloom products, Kendujhari Phula Badi, dry fish and spices/NTFP from Odisha.