Mahakumbh Nagar: Maha kumbh 2025, the grand festival at Sangam in Prayagraj, is proving to be a sig-nificant platform for the artisans of Uttar Pradesh. As part of this, the magnificent ‘One District, One Product’ (ODOP) exhibition, set up across an expansive area of 6,000 square meters, showcases an array of exquisite handicrafts, including carpets, zari-zardozi work, Firozabad’s glass toys and Varanasi’s wooden toys among other things.

Sharad Tandon, the Joint Commissioner of Industries in Prayagraj Division, high-lighted the remarkable growth in business from the last Mahakumbh held in 2019. “In 2019, the turnover was Rs 4.30 crore, but this time we anticipate a turnover of up to Rs 35 crore. This remarkable increase will offer new opportunities for employment and empower small entrepreneurs,” Tandon said.

Adding another dimension to the event, Flipkart has set up a stall where local entre-preneurs are being offered a free sales opportunity. Artisans and handicraft sellers can now sell their products on Flipkart’s platform without any charges, which has been attracting a large number of shoppers and visitors.

The exhibition also brings forward the rich cultural heritage of Uttar Pradesh through various crafts and Geographical Indication (GI) products. Dr. Rajnikant, a GI expert, informed that 75 GI products from the state are on display as part of the ODOP ini-tiative.

These include Varanasi’s red chilies, Banarasi sarees, Pratapgarh’s amla, brass uten-sils from Mirzapur, and the terracotta from Gorakhpur. Additionally, carpets from Kushinagar and glass toys and utensils from Firozabad are among the exhibition’s top attractions.