Khadi board organises live demos

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Khadi and Village Industries Board (OKVIB) on Wednesday launched a new initiative to educate school students about the traditional village craft and cottage industries which include pottery, stone carving, pattachitra painting, works on brass and bell metal, jewellery, cane and bamboo and golden grass besides carpentry and blacksmith work.

The students, who were given live demos on the process of pottery at an event organised at Nuagaon on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, were informed about the traditional methods of extracting oil from mustard besides leather and coir works, spinning of cotton thread using charkha and weaving khadi clothes by using hand loom.

President of OKVIB Tejeswar Parida said the students were also taught about rural economy and its relationship with village industries which would provide better livelihood and generate employment. More than 100 students of DAV Public School were provided live demonstration by terracotta artiste Mandar Rana and his team.

“We are planning to invite students from different schools in Bhubaneswar to some OKVIB units like stone carving centre at Dhauli, mustard oil ghani at Gandamunda, khadi saree and cloth producing unit at Nupatna-Manibandh in Cuttack,” he informed.

Meanwhile, OKVIB has decided to submit a proposal to School and Mass Education Department and SC&ST Development Department to promote such live demos of traditional village industries among students in future.