JeeVika – Exhibits Straight From Farms & Homes Of Odisha

Bhubaneswar: To bridge the gap between farmers and consumers in Odisha and enliven the essence of our state, two women from Bhubaneswar are organizing an exhibition ‘JeeVika’, meaning livelihood, where products from three different spheres of life will be displayed.

The agriculture section will have organic products brought directly from the farmers. “This is under our ‘Basal’ initiative and it’ll have various spices and pulses,” said one of the organizers, Ipsita Sahoo.

These products have been procured by her NGO, Kalpvriksh, which is working closely with the farmers. “We wish to provide them marketing solutions and a platform where they can sell these without being exploited by middlemen,” added Ipsita.

The collection will also include homemade products, like badi, arisa pitha and pickles, prepared by village women. “They are mostly homemakers. These are traditional Odia food and also includes some healthy tasty items for children like cakes made of wheat and chura bhaja,” Ipsita further said.

The most exciting and interesting of them all is the ‘Anubhushan’ section which includes handicrafts and handloom of Odisha. The handloom section will have designs by Jyosna Das under her brand ‘Bivabari’. “There are sarees with pattachitra paintings and hand embroidery woven in traditional Odia methods,” said Jyosna. She has been into the business since 18 years and her designs have been endorsed by Ollywood stars like Anu Choudhury.

The tribal jewelleries have been procured from different corners of the state. “These are authentic tribal ornaments with no modern touch,” said Ipsita.

To give the designs a contemporary feel, the artisans need some polishing, she added

This is their first-ever event and they wish to take it to different states. “Odisha has a culture rich and people across the country must know about it. In fact, I think people from other states are quite fond of Odisha products,” added Jyosna.

The two-day event starts on Saturday around 2 pm, at Bhubaneswar Club here.