Bhubaneswar,Dec.27: The 13th National Toshali Crafts Fair 2018 will commence from December 28 and continue till January 13, 2019 in the city.

The fair is being organised by Handloom, Textiles and Handicrafts (HTH) department of the state. Artisans, weavers, painters and sculptors from all over the country will participate in the fair. They will showcase their contemporary and traditional handloom and handicrafts products.

Nearly 21 lakh people are expected to visit the fair this year, the department said and added that  products worth around Rs 22 crore will be on sale.

Minister for  Handloom, Textiles and Handicrafts Snehangini Chhuria is scheduled to inaugurate the fair. Minister for Tourism and Culture  Ashok Chandra Panda, local MLAs and MPs are are expected to attend the fair.

The craft mela will be decorated on the theme of ‘Tantukruti’.

This year the fair will accommodate 350 handicraft and handloom stalls. One hundred and fifty artisans and 130 weavers from all over the country will participate in the fair.

About 330 handloom and handicraft stalls will be put up in the fair. Twenty  organisations and institutions involved in the  development of handloom and handicraft including National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bhubaneswar, Indian Institute of Handloom Technology, Bargarha, and Indian Institute of Textile Technology Chowdwar would also put up their stalls.

Thirty  food stalls featuring multiple cuisine foodstuffs both from Odisha and other states will be showcased by prominent restaurants and hotels.

The craft fair has opened up  opportunities for marketing the products and making people aware of the skills involved in the products.