Applique Work

Applique Work is a technique by which the decorative effect is obtained by superposing patches of coloured fabrics on a basic fabric, the edges of the patches being sewn in some form of stitching. It is distinct from what is known as patch work in which small pieces of cut fabrics are usually joined side by side to make a large piece of fabric or for repairing a damaged fabric. The base cloth is usually coloured. Some of the specially prepared motifs have exclusive embroidery work and some have mirror work.

Metal Work

Dhokra or Brass and Bell Metal craft is perhaps the single most important craft in terms of the number of artisans engaged in its practice. The craft is practiced by the people of the Kansari caste while a particular variety, 'dhokra' , is practiced mainly by Sithulias. The products of this handicraft can be broadly classified into three groups-items produced through process of beating or 'pifa' , those produced by casting and the third group would include the residual items, which consist of mainly the unique flexible brass items like the brass fish and snakes made by the craftsmen of Belguntha in Ganjam district. Dhokra casting, a variety of metal casting is essentially a folk craft and is limited to a few pockets of Orissa. While the lost wax process is followed the raw materials used is not pure brass but contains miscellaneous scraps of other metals which give it is typically antique look. Its motifs are mostly drawn from folk culture. While among the animals, elephant is most popular, the other motifs include human heads, kings, manas or miniature replica of measures, containers with lids, with or without locking devices, images of deities like Ganesh and Durga, and lamps and lampstands, the last being made in several intricate designs in shape of trees and branches with as many as a hundred lamps in one stand.

Silver Filigree & Metal Work

Of all the handicrafts of Orissa the most unique and the finest, in fact the queen among them, is Silver Filigree , locally called tarakasi. The craft is localised at Cuttack town and a few villages in Cuttack district. The process consists of drawing silver through a series of consecutively smaller holes to produce fine strands of wire. These wires are then made into various shapes by deft hands of the craftsmen by bending them into different designs and soldering them with pincer and scissors.The silver filigree and other silver items have, like other handicrafts, a very important socio-cultural function. The child's first solid food, usually a sweet dish of rice, kheer, is served in a silver bowl in a function known as anna prasana. The bride too is usually presented a set of silver dishes which is reserved for offering food to the deities during religious festivals. Many temples have a set of silver ornaments for the presiding deities including silver crowns which are used on ceremonial occasions. Silver filigree has been an important export items of Orissa from ancient times

Stone Work

Stone carving is a major handicraft of Orissa. As is evident from the innumerable archaeological monuments, rock-cut sculptures, caves and temples, the art of carving in stone had reached in Orissa dizzy heights of excellence perfected through centuries of disciplined efforts of generations of artisans. Unlike sculptors of other places, the artisans of Orissa are at home with a variety of materials. They handle with equal facility the ultra soft white soap stone, or 'Khadipathara', as the slightly harder greenish chlorite or 'Kochilapathara' and the still harder pinkish Khandolite or 'Sahanapathara' or 'Baulapathara' and the hardest of all black granite or 'mugunipathara'. The craftsmen making these articles are concentrated at Baulagadia and Nilgiri.

Wood Work

Wood carving is another important handicraft of Orissa. This again can be broadly grouped into three sub-groups-painted wood carvings, plain wood carvings and wood turned items. In the first group we have painted wooden toys of Puri and Bargarh masks, and idols and chariot decorations. Usually light varieties of wood are preferred and vegetable and mineral colours are used. The plain wood carvings are mostly done on a soft creamish wood called gambhari or white teak. This variety of wood carving is mostly practiced in Cuttack town though a few craftsmen are also found at Bhubaneswar and Puri. Wood turned articles using the creamish 'gambhari' and the harder and darker sisu or rose wood is a specialty of the artisans from Daspalla area in Puri district. Popular items are small pitchers with mango leaves and coconut, glass, bowls, and incense stands.

Horn Work

Horn articles of Orissa are mystical and are blended with a superb fashion design. Lacquer Work is yet another form of handicraft Orissa is famous for.

Textile Work

Ikat - that gloriously woven, blurry edged, gemcoloured design, in gorgeous yarns of silk and cotton has become synonymous with Orissa. Speaking eloquently of its old maritime linkages with Bali, the Ikat tradition of Orissa is the intricate process of Tie and Dye i.e., knotting selections of yarn before dipping them in separate colours one at a time and finally weaving them to produce one of the most delightful designs in multi-hued tones, in motifs drawn from the richness of nature, in threads both silken and gold. The double-ikat designs from Sambalpur are great buys as are the gold embroidered ones from Sonepur. The Bomkai ikats have motifs drawn from the Shakti Cult.