Crafty Orissa

Orissa is renowned for its handicrafts. Foremost among them is the weaving of hand-loomed silk, tussar (raw) silk, and cotton fabrics and saris at centers like Sonepur, Sambalpur, and Cuttack, where you can find both simple designs and elaborate ikats (fabric) woven from tie-dyed yarn where both the weft and the warp are matched to produce soft-edged designs in the weave. Everywhere in Orissa you'll see superb stone sculptures inspired by temple architecture, statues crafted from soapstone that would be ideal souvenirs if it was not for their weight—though shops do arrange to ship larger pieces of sculpture.

Patachitra is the art of exquisitely detailed, fine-lined paintings on cotton, silk, or other cloth, usually illustrating stories from the ancient Hindu epics. Talapatra paintings or etchings are done on palm leaves treated so they're as hard as wooden slats. Tarkashi, a much-prized Orissan export for centuries, is the art of silver filigree, centered in Cuttack: jewelry, boats, temples, elephants, and other items are made by drawing silver through smaller and smaller holes to produce fine strands that are shaped into designs and soldered together. Dhokra is the art of casting animals, tribal figures, boats, bowls, and other items in brass using the lost-wax

casting process; the object is then wrapped in rows of beeswax wires for a unique ribbed finish. Also look for items made from bell metal, lacquerware colorfully painted with folk designs, colorful appliqué work, and "golden grass" items made from swamp grasses. Serious shopping entails side trips to the beautiful, largely hidden Orissan villages that are home to master craftspeople. Most tour companies offer crafts tours of the best centers in the state.

Travelers are subject to grossly inflated prices, even in remote artisans' hamlets. Start bargaining (it's expected) at half the original price, and you may end up with a 30% to 40% "discount." In Pipli, competition drops the rate of initial inflation; here you'll need to bargain down only 5% to 10%. If you shy away from dickering, you can always buy good items at fixed prices at the government emporiums.