Now Reading: Paddy-grain rakhis from Nabarangpur draw orders across Odisha
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Paddy-grain rakhis from Nabarangpur draw orders across Odisha
Artisans in Odisha's Nabarangpur district are making rakhis from paddy grains, and demand is rising beyond the district for the upcoming Raksha Purnima festival. The Dhanalakshmi Producer Group, a 10-member collective from…
Artisans in Odisha's Nabarangpur district are making rakhis from paddy grains, and demand is rising beyond the district for the upcoming Raksha Purnima festival. The Dhanalakshmi Producer Group, a 10-member collective from Limbhatta village under Kosagumuda block, produces the rakhis, priced between Rs 50 and Rs 250.
The craft, which artisans learned 35 years ago from local craftsman Sadashiva Munda, involves colouring paddy grains yellow, drying them, and weaving them with colourful threads between thin bamboo sticks to create various designs. Social media posts over the past two years have boosted orders from local markets and other districts, improving incomes for the artisans.
The artisans alleged that the administration and government have not taken adequate steps to promote or support their craft. The block development officer said the government will construct a Rs 20-lakh facility where the artisans can work together. An ORMAS stall is expected to open in the district in the coming days.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The paddy-grain craft tradition in Nabarangpur is a micro-enterprise in a district bordering Chhattisgarh where livelihoods are limited. The Rs 20-lakh facility promised by the block development office is still at the proposal stage. By converting agricultural surplus into festival goods, these 10 families have created a revenue stream. However, the artisans' complaint about lack of promotional support reflects a wider pattern: many district-level craft clusters in Odisha remain outside Government e-Marketplace and e-commerce platforms. The coming weeks, when the ORMAS stall opens and Rakhi festival orders peak, will test whether this year's income matches the social-media-driven demand of the past two years.
Source: odishatv.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
