RECHRISTENING THE HANDLOOM WEAVING TRADITION OF KENDRAPARA- ODISHARAY NEWS REPORTING
Kendrapara(20/2/2024): Handloom weaving is an age-old tradition in Kendrapara District where more than 50,000 weavers were weaving cloth like Saree, Dhoti, Lungi, Gamcha, Towel, Bedsheet, stoles, napkins and shawls.
But in the past few decades, particularly in the last two decade, the handloom weaving population has drastically gone down in the district.
More than 70 percent of the handloom units in the district have been shut down.
Kendrapara, predominantly an agrarian district with tremendous ecosystem for agriculture but surprisingly it was equally endowed with handloom weaving as the second largest non-farm employment generating sector in the district.
In the absence of any industrial development in the district the marginalisation of both agriculture and the handloom sector has added many woes to the people of the district.
The weaving villages like Dihasahi, Kusiapala, Haripur, Korua, Kutaranga, Keutagada, Mahasahipatana, Mangarajpur, Chanchunia, Thakurpatana, Khasapadia, Baburampatana, Balipatana, Talapatana, Haladia, Ghanashyampur, Udayanagar, Gulanagar, Kaudiabarai, Ramachandrapur, Samsara, Narasinghpur, Atabuha, Kalabuda, and Nadiabarei had a prominence and a long tradition of weaving and supplying sustainable handloom clothing to various places in the state and outside the state. Despite this rich tradition and an increasing demand for handloom as a low-carbon footprint and sustainable clothing in the domestic and international market these weavers are getting further marginalized due to apathy, shortage of raw materials and lack of effective market linkage.
Professor Binaya Bhusan Jena, a noted expert on sustainable fashion and handloom sector in his recent visits to the district discussed the issues and concerns of the weavers of Kendrapara.
During his last visit day before yesterday, he focused on one village, Dihasahi in Kalabuda Panchayat where he discussed with the weavers for bringing in innovations in their product.
He invited Anindiya Samajpati, the Regional Manager of Liva Excel from Aditya Birla Group towards integration of their value and supply chain.
Prof.Jena being a native of Kendrapara district from Sihopara village in Rajkanika Tehsil, the people of the district have much faith on him and seriously listening to him at different forums.
Priyanka Priyadarsini, AVP-Business Development of Grasim Industries Limited from Aditya Birla Group had earlier met Prof.Jena and discussed a strategy to revive the handloom cluster of Kendrapara through a multi-stakeholder approach.
Samajpati carried sample yarn of Liva Excel and showed it to the weavers of Dihasahi who got convinced that if they use this as Warp yarn then this can give a much better feel, luster and effect to their product, while still keeping cotton as the weft yarn.
On the advice of Prof.Jena Aditya Birla has agreed to supply 90 kg of sample yarn to develop products by few weavers then that will be put before the other weavers to develop the understanding of blending different natural and regenerated fibre yarn in making innovative products.
As informed, there is a buy back option available for the weavers if they make sarees and other products using Liva Excel, that can fetch much better price than what the weavers would get otherwise.
Prof.Jena also informed that he would bring more resources to the Kendrapara Cluster through the Government Agencies, Corporate and Design Houses, so that the income of the weavers can increase and the Kendrapara weaving sector will get a much better and deserving visibility.
