Orissa art comes to town

CHENNAI: Oriyan art came to life in the city on Saturday as Sanginee, a new clothes and accessories store, opened here. Situated on C P Ramaswamy Road, the store was inaugurated by popular singer Sudha Raghunathan. Decked in a colourful pattu sari, she enthusiastically interacted with the owner of the store Manas Parida, throughout her tour of the store. Spending a lot of time examining the silk cotton saris from Orissa, which she claimed she loved, she discussed the texture, price range and maintenance of the saris. Manas, who has a full-time day job, initiated Sanginee as a way to promote the traditional art of Orissa. Most products in the store are handmade by those from the tribes in various districts of Orissa. Apart from costs required to cover rent and other basic necessities of the store, Manas intends to ensure that the proceeds from the sale of products reach the craftsmen. Highlights at the store are the casual wear kurtis in earthy tones and traditional prints. The price range of these kurtis begin from `240 and go upto over ` 750. The handwoven saris which are made using the tie and dye method, with motifs such as bees and butterflies, are a pretty sight. “These saris are hard to get because the weavers take over a month to make just one sari,” explains Manas. Apart from the saris that are mostly provided by NGOs, the hand-painted dupattas are a must mention. Kalamkari, Mangalgiri and Maheswari are the few other varieties available at the store, apart from ethnic clutches and handbags.Sanginee is situated at No 46, Ashwin Apartments, CP Ramaswamy Road, Opposite IDBI Bank, Alwarpet.