India has long since been famous for its fine textiles, and within India, Orissa occupies pride of place with its exqusite handloom fabrics. With thousands of weavers working on their looms, Orissa produces a wide variety of fabrics, with weavers from each region producing their own style of saris, dress materials, bed covers, etc. Some of the important handloon centres are Sambalpur, Berhampur, Cuttack, Nuapatna and Mayurbhanj, each of which have their own distinctive styles. For more information on the traditional handloom fabrics of Orissa, visit www.orissa-handloom.com.

While the traditional fabrics of Orissa have achieved international fame, the tribals of Orissa too have their own handloom fabrics. While they are not produced is the quantities of say the Sambalpuri saris, they have their own coarse beauty and are often imbued with hidden symbolism.