Bhubaneswar: The state government has planned to develop the Ekamra Haat in the city into a round-the-year activity centre to promote Odisha handloom and handicraft, Odishi dance and music and Odia cuisine.
Reviewing the progress made in construction of stalls, food court, amphitheater, kiosks, exhibition shed, conference hall and the visitors’ amenity in the Haat during a visit on Saturday, Mahapatra instructed the officials of different departments on the activities to be taken up at the art and craft market.
He directed Secretary, Handloom, Textiles and Handicraft Shubha Sharma to select best artisans from different districts and allot them stalls for two months on rotational basis. The best products of filigree, pattachitra, terracotta, brass works, bamboo works, cane works, horn works would be available for the visitors throughout the year.
The chief secretary also directed to earmark the stalls for sale of handloom products like Sambalpuri, Bomket, Berhampuri, Manibandi, Bandha.
Special stalls would be set up for Odisha food and cuisine. The trained women SHGs would be allotted those stalls for serving healthy food.
Development Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena advised that the departments of Odia Language, Literature and Culture and Tourism should act together for organising cultural programmes every day at the amphitheater of the Haat to make it a point of tourist attraction.
Mahapatra directed to organise different dance forms of Odisha like Odishi, Gotipua, Ghumura, Sambalpuri, Chhau, Chaiti, Danda Naata, Dalkhai, Ghoda Naacha along with tribal folk forms. Odishi songs would also be rendered by eminent artists from different parts of the state.
The haat would be managed by the State Institute for Development Art and Craft (SIDAC) operating under Handloom, HT and T department.
Secretary Sharma said 60 stalls along with 33 exhibition sheds have been built in the Haat. Around 14 stalls would be earmarked for handloom products, 28 for handicraft products and 8 for demonstration counters. Besides, there would be 33 exhibition sheds which would be allotted to the artisans for exhibition and sale of their products, she added.
