Sonepur: Ghanshyam Meher, a 40-year-old weaver of Tikiripada village under Subalaya police limits in Subarnapur district is a top exponent of the ‘Bandha’ art. He has extraordinary expertise in weaving sarees, crafting Bandha works, colouring and graphic designing. Presently, he is staying in Bargarh town and sells exquisitely designed saree to handloom weavers of Bargarh, Subarnapur, Bolangir and Boudh districts.
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Ghanshyam attracted limelight, after he created a design of Lord Jagannath’s ‘Suna Besha’ (25 inches long and 20 inches wide) and another of Maa Samaleswari’s ‘Rajarajeswari Besha’ (30 inches long and 30 inches wide). These Bandha designs were lauded and the Odisha government felicitated Ghanshyam in 2006. It was for the first time that his work was recognised.
These days, Ghanshyam is working hard to find a place in the book ‘Guinness World Records’. To achieve the distinction he had to make 1,20,000 conches in Bandha design. He has completed the task and is satisfied. “I will officially apply to be registered in the book after COVID-19 gets subsided in the days ahead,” Ghanshyam said.
Earlier, he found a place in the ‘Limca Book of Records’ in 2016 for drawing a Bandha design of 81,000 conches. That incident had given him the inspiration to seek entry into the ‘Guinness World Records’ informed the craftsman.
Ghanshyam is the second son of Rabi Meher and Malati Meher. A class ten pass out, Ghanshyam got attracted to ‘Bandha’ art from his childhood, when he was assisting his father in this traditional family occupation.
Notably, August 7 is celebrated every year by the Government of India as the ‘National Handloom Day’. It is celebrated to honour the handloom weavers in India. Ghanshyam is hoping that in the future he will get national recognition on this day.
PNN