Koraput( KCN):
The 13th Annual Festival of the Odisha Shilpi Mahasangh was celebrated in a grand ceremony at the Koraput Cultural Council Auditorium, highlighting the vital role of artisans and weavers in preserving Odisha’s identity and enriching its rural economy.
Participating as the chief guest, Kotpad MLA Rupu Bhatra emphasized that the problems of artisans and weavers can be resolved through dialogue rather than protest. “I will act as a medium of communication between the state government and our artisans,” he assured. He added that both the central and state governments are committed to the overall development of the artisan and weaving sectors, which have been a backbone of employment in rural Odisha.
Koraput MLA Raghuram Machh, attending as a guest, described artisans and weavers as “the true torchbearers of the indigenous movement,” and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to their welfare.
Dr. Pabitra Mohan Samantaray, Editor in chief, PARYABEKHYAK & THE KALINGA CHRONICLE, National President of the Rashtriya Patrakar Mahasangha & Indian federation of small & Medium Newspapers, New delhi attended as a guest of honour and lauded the efforts of the Shilpi Mahasangh for promoting the interests of artisans and weavers across the state. “The development of this artisan nation is possible only by staying united,” Dr. Samantaray remarked.
Other distinguished guests included Padma Shri Adwaita Gadnayak, Padma Shri Govardhan Panika, INTACH Odisha Coordinator Anil Dhar, Bayanika President Prakash Meher, Koraput Paar Parishad Chairman Lalatendu Sethi, strategist & able organiser Shishir Sahu, Ekta head Jagannath Mishra, senior journalist CH Shantakar, Siddhartha Ghosh, and Odisha Shilpi Mahasangh President Uday Mohanty.
Mahasangh Secretary Priyaranjan Kar presented two key proposals:
To rename the body as the Odisha Crafts and Weavers Mahasangh to reflect its work for both artisans and weavers.
To urge the state government for better implementation of welfare schemes, the formation of a State Handlooms and Handicrafts Development Council, and an increased sectoral budget of ₹5,000 crore.
He warned that if the demands are not addressed, the Mahasangh will convene a statewide assembly in January.
Among the demands raised were housing for landless artisans, student and interest-free loans, life insurance, hostels in Bhubaneswar for visiting artisans, an artisan welfare fund, highway-side Shilpi Haats, declaration of new artisan villages, and subsidized raw materials such as yarn, dyes, and tools.
The Shilpi Shri Award was conferred on Pramod Kumar Baral (stone mason, Keonjhar), and the Bayan Shri Award went to Laxmidhar Chand (weaver, Jajpur). The Shilpi Sakha Award was presented to senior journalist Harshavardhan Behera (Balangir), while the Shilpi Samaksi Award honoured Folk Weave of Koraput and Heaven Craft of Kolkata for their contribution to artisan development.
Emerging terracotta artists from Koraput, including Gaiyar Kumbar, Shyamsunder Kumbar, Dinabandhu Kumbar, Ramakrishna Mangali, Chandrama Majhi, Madhusudan Majhi, and Rajendra Tanti, were also felicitated.
The festival opened with an art competition for school students, where each participant received trophies and certificates. The event was coordinated by Simal Rana, Prashant Behera, Ashutosh Paramguru, Sarojini Das, Kadambari Mallick, Dushmanta Padhi, Shankar Nayak, Tapan Maharana, Gaiyar Rana, and U. Nilakantha.
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