While splurging on high-end couture and expensive gadgets for Durga Puja shopping, stop and absorb the vibrant applique work of Odisha being used to deck up a mall here.
The South City mall, located in south Kolkata, is a must-visit on your pandal-hopping itinerary if you want to experience the craft.
The handicraft from the small village of Pipli in Odisha is renowned the world over for the motifs of village scenes, nature, geometric patterns and other folk designs.
Also, the idol of goddess Durga has been conceptualised as riding a traditional rath (chariot) in tune with the Pipli theme that involves embroidery on patches of cloth of contrasting colours on a base cloth that stands out in any background.
According to a statement from the organisers, “the vibrant colour and mythological motifs — a consistent theme in Pipli art — will be brought to life in a curious interplay of light and colour in the interior and exterior of the mall.”
From traditional wall hangings, pouches, mats and umbrellas to modern kitchen linen and outfits, the Pipli applique products are a prominent sight in shops, as one traverses through the narrow roads of the village en route to the temple town of Puri.
The colour combinations are so stunning that one cannot but make a brief stopover for some purchases.
The organisers hope shoppers and visitors will enjoy their Odisha sojourn, during the festive season, through the art and craft that has been put up at the mall.