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All you need to know about National Handloom Day
National Handloom Day is celebrated to mark the beginning of Swadeshi Andolan on August 7, 1905.
National Handloom Day has been celebrated on August 7 every year since 2015 to commemorate the Swadeshi Andolan that began in 1905 on this very day. The first National Handloom Day was marked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chennai. In the Mann Ki Baat episode aired on July 25, PM Modi talked about the importance of handlooms and extending support to artisans and weavers to boost the industry, specifically the production of khadi by the Bhunkar community and its consumption. "Please buy handloom products from rural areas," the Prime Minister urged his listeners.
PM Modi reiterated himself on Saturday during an online interaction and tied up his vision for the handloom sector with that of the vocal for local initiative. “Khadi, which was once forgotten, has become a new brand today. Now that we are going on a new journey towards 100 years of independence, we have to strengthen that spirit of Khadi for independence. For a self-reliant India, we have to be vocal for the local,” he tweeted.
Why is National Handloom Day celebrated?
National Handloom Day is celebrated to mark the beginning of Swadeshi Andolan on August 7, 1905. This movement encouraged Indians to wear clothes woven by indigenous communities by their hands and to denounce foreign-made apparel.
“On this day, we honour our handloom-weaving community and highlight the contribution of this sector in the socio-economic development of our country. We reaffirm our resolve to protect our handloom heritage and to empower the handloom weavers and workers financially and instil pride in their exquisite craftsmanship,” the government said in a statement.
How will National Handloom Day be celebrated this year?
The Union ministry of textiles will be celebrating National Handloom Day this year with a national level handloom expo at Dilli Haat in the national capital that is scheduled to run from August 1 to August 15.
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the National Handloom Day celebrations in Ponduru village of Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh and laid the foundation for the Khadi Artisans Group Workshed.
Sitharaman also handed over a cheque of ₹18 lakh for Andhra Fine Khadi Workers Development Association to empower artisans. To honour the spirit of the country’s resilient handloom industry PM Modi asked citizens to move forward with the message of “nation first always”.
