‘Handloom Sector is a Symbol of Our Country's Diverse Cultural Heritage,’ says MoS Textiles Darshana Jardosh

Darshana Vikram Jardosh, Minister of State for Textiles and Railways, was joined by women members of parliament Hema Malini, Navneet Kaur Rana, Mahua Moitra, and others to inaugurate the Exclusive Handloom Expo 'My Handloom My Pride Expo' at Handloom Haat yesterday.

They interacted with weavers and artisans and purchased exquisite handloom items. Darshana Jardosh invited all female Members of Parliament to the Exclusive Handloom Expo at Janpath Haat to see the rich handloom heritage and encourage weavers and promote the industry.

55 Sant Kabir and National Awardees representing 14 states are displaying and selling exquisite handloom products. The exhibition will be open to the public seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. until August 11th, 2022.

This Exclusive Handloom Expo is being organized by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, in collaboration with the National Handloom Development Corporation (NHDC) Ltd.

"Handloom is a symbol of our country's rich and diverse cultural heritage," Jardosh said.

The Swadeshi Movement, which began on August 7, 1905, encouraged indigenous industries, particularly handloom weavers. The Government of India declared the 7th of August each year as National Handloom Day in 2015.

On this day, we honour our handloom weaving community and highlight the sector's contribution to the country's socioeconomic development. We reaffirm our commitment to preserving our handloom heritage and providing more opportunities for handloom weavers and workers.

Handloom weaving has a traditional value to it, and each region has exquisite varieties. Pochampally, Tangaliya saree, Kota Doria, Banarasi, Jamdani, Baluchari, Ikkat, Kalamkari, and other exclusive weaves, designs, and traditional motifs draw customers from all over the world.

Handloom weavers not only market their products at reasonable prices at these exhibitions, but they also learn about their customers' preferences for colour, design, and weaving for future product improvement. The exhibition facilitates direct interaction between awardee Handloom weavers and consumers.