Dikhyaa Mohanty 
On Wednesday, the Barabati Palace in Cuttack hosted the opening of the three-day Katak Kite Utsav that the Cuttack district administration had organized under the auspices of Mission Shakti to commemorate the Raja festival. Numerous Cuttack-based women’s self-help groups (SHGs) are displaying their goods there, including eco-friendly jewelry, unique handmade cold beverages, Bara, and Machha Ambila.
Kukumina Das, the leader of the Jagruti Self Help Group from Ward No. 14, Khatbin Sahi, has displayed stunning eco-friendly jewelry fashioned from renewable resources. Priyadasini Das, the Green Queen of Odisha, trains the SHG group’s members. A buyer named Truptilata remarked, “I find the eco-friendly products made of bamboo and waste wood to be very attractive, and I bought couple of pairs.”
Customers are flocking to Nandini Devi SHG’s Ward No. 30 stand, which is offering homemade refreshments and is run by Jayashree Das of Rajabagicha. Another vendor offering highly distinctive Bara and Machha Ambila, a specialty of Shankarpur, Cuttack, goes by the name of Diganta Parivar.
The majority of the women-run SHGs appear to be overjoyed and thrilled about the chance to sell their goods during this Raja Utsav. Other SHG organizations from various wards sell a variety of goods, including coir crafts, handlooms, handicrafts, and culinary items manufactured by women. The location has transformed into a gathering spot for city inhabitants during this Raja Utsav.
