Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): ‘Handloom on Wheels’ - a joint venture of the Madhya Pradesh Khadi and Village Industries Board, Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation and Sericulture Directorate - will promote handloom products of artisans from the state.
Handloom on Wheels is a bus which will operate in Bhopal and Indore for 15 days each. The bus was flagged off by Anubha Shrivastava, commissioner, handlooms and handicrafts, mountaineer Megha Parmar and artisans at Bhopal Haat in the city on Thursday. Parmar is MP’s handloom brand ambassador. It will be launched at Indore on Friday.
Shrivastava told media persons that the bus would travel on different routes every day in the two cities, with halts at colleges, universities, other institutions and local markets, including weekly haats, to introduce people to the traditional hand-woven products of the state. Cotton, Khadi and silk clothes made on handlooms will be displayed in the bus.
It has also been decided to launch a dress designing competition to promote handicrafts and handloom products. “Those interested can buy running material from the designated emporia and sale points and make designs on khadi, handloom and silk clothes. The designs can be submitted to the department. The best designs would be awarded and would also be displayed on billboards, hoardings etc. in Bhopal and Indore,” Shrivastava said.
National Handloom Expo from today
A Special National Handloom Expo will be organised at Bhopal Haat from September 16-29 by the Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation in collaboration with Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. More than 100 weavers from nine states including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Jammu-Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh will display their products at the expo. Commissioner Handlooms and Handicrafts Anubha Shrivastava said that 80 temporary shops have been built on the premises of Bhopal Haat for the expo. The expo will open for the public from 12 noon to 9 pm. Cultural programmes will be organised every day during the 14-day event, she said.
