The 5th National Handloom Day will be celebrated across the country tomorrow. The Union Minister of Textiles and Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani, will preside over a function at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi to mark the occasion.
Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Pratap Chandra Sarangi, will also be present.
The main event will be held in Bhubaneswar, selected due to its strong handloom tradition. Over 50% of India’s weaver population resides in the eastern and northeastern regions, with a majority being women. The objective of hosting the event in Bhubaneswar is to further empower women and girls in the sector.
Across the country, several activities will be undertaken, including:
- Distribution of Pehchan cards and yarn passbooks
- Distribution of MUDRA loans
- Distribution of lighting units and certificates for construction of work sheds
- Observance of National Handloom Day at Weavers’ Service Centres in various states
- Handloom melas, exhibitions, workshops, panel discussions, and stalls at NIFT campuses in Gandhinagar and Kolkata
- Live discussions broadcast via Twitter from the digital studio of IMG Reliance, involving young designers and industry personalities
- Symposium at the Crafts Museum in New Delhi organized by the Fashion Design Council of India, featuring weavers, designers, and textile experts
- Workshops through IGNOU and NIOS to provide information on educational opportunities for weavers and their families
National Handloom Day is observed annually on 7 August to honour handloom weavers and highlight India’s handloom industry. It aims to promote the sector’s contribution to socio-economic development and improve weavers’ incomes.
