10/03/2026
Balijori Haat in the state of Odisha is the largest open market in Asia organised for the artisans and farmers. This weekly market is scheduled every Wednesday on Behera Bazaar Prangana in the interiors of Bargarh district of Western Odisha.
Bargarh is known as the ‘Rice bowl of Odisha’. We crossed kilometres of rice cultivation to reach Balijori Haat and experienced why this area is called ‘धान का कटोरा’.
Bargarh has a maximum concentration of artisans. It is the leading hub of ‘Ikat’ weaving where maximum award-winning weavers have been creating delightful textiles. Ikat is a textile art form that uses tie and dye technique to create designs on finished products.
The space of the Balijori haat is managed by the weaver’s collective where participants pay a small token fee approximately INR 10 to secure a spot on a first-come-first-served basis.
This market opens even before dawn and gets over in the morning where Ikat fabrics, sarees, dupattas, gamchas (Towels), rumals, stitched shirts and tops are sold out. More than 2500 artisans participate in the haat to sell directly to the traders and customers. We loved this place as ‘No Commission’ is paid to the middlemen.
Weavers sell plain, coloured as well as tied and dyed (Ikat) yarn. It is said that in a few hours business of several crores takes place here. This market also promotes accessories required in weaving. The carpenters sell the wooden frames, dobby, shuttles, bobbins, etc.
The parking lot gets flooded with cars, auto rickshaws, tempos, buses and heavy trucks. Two-wheeler and cycle parking is spread out on a community ground. Beverage stalls brew tea and coffee. Piping hot Puri-Sabji, Samosa chaat and snacks attract customers early in the morning.
Hands that create beautiful textiles put their stalls here. Retailers from other parts of Odisha visit this market for bulk shopping. In the age of online shopping and air-conditioned malls, such place is an ideal example of living local tradition.
It’s a wonderful experience to walk around and interact with buyers and sellers of brilliant Ikat textiles and while walking frankly ये दिल इक्कत इक्कत हो गया!
