National Handloom Day

National Handloom Day

National Handloom Day is celebrated annually on every 7th of August to honour the handloom weavers in the country. 

It aims at highlighting the handloom’s contribution to the nation’s socioeconomic development and increase weavers’ earnings. On this day, the Swadeshi Movement, which began on the same day in 1905, is also honoured.

The first National Handloom Day was celebrated in 2015 in Chennai by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Handlooms have been a significant face of India’s fight for freedom.  It is also an industry that directly addresses women's empowerment, with over 70% of all weavers and allied employees being female.

From Tamil Nadu's Kanjeevaram to Punjab's Phulkari, Madhya Pradesh's Chanderi to Odisha's Ikat, each Indian state has its own unique handloom that preserves the true essence of India.These handlooms open up the world to India's rich history, heritage, beauty, and art.

By providing inputs in terms of new designs and product diversification, eco-friendly handloom industry aims to support weavers, connect them directly with the market and provide inputs. The Government has also implemented a number of schemes to help achieve these objectives : 

* National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP)

* Handloom Weavers Comprehensive Welfare Scheme (HWCWS)

* Comprehensive Handloom Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS)

* Yarn Supply Scheme (YSS).

On this National Handloom Day, let us all do our part to show our support for these expert indigenous handloom weavers, who play an important role in preserving millennia-old weaving traditions that have enchanted everyone since time immemorial.