National Handloom Day 2020 - Important Date, History, Benefits, quotes & How to celebrate the National Handloom Day

National Handloom Day 2020 - On 7 August 2020, National Handloom Day is observed to honor the handloom weavers and to create an awareness about the importance of the handloom industry in socio development of the nation. Get more information about the history of National Handloom Day, benefits of handlooms, quotes & how to celebrate the National Handloom Day 2020 from this article.

N Keerthana

National Handloom Day 2020

National Handloom Day is celebrated on August 7 of every year. National Handloom Day 2020 is to increase an awareness about the benefits of handloom to the younger generations. On this National Handloom Day, let support the handloom weavers and encourage everyone to buy the handloom products.

Handlooms are important not only for esthetic and cultural reasons, they are also essential to political and diplomatic relations, as they are symbols of the identity, culture and inclusive growth of a country. More than 50 percent of India's total weaver population resides in the country's eastern and north-eastern region.

What is the history of National Handloom Day?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first National Handloom Day at the University of Madras' Centenary Hall in Chennai, on 7 August 2015. August 7 was selected as the National Handloom Day to commemorate the Swadeshi Movement that was launched in Calcutta Town Hall on this day in 1905 to protest against the British Government's partition of Bengal. The movement aimed at reviving the production processes and domestic goods. 

Most importantly, handlooms are environmentally friendly, and a viable way to make a living. The handloom sector provides 4.33 million people with jobs, and is the second largest source of employment in rural India. Around 95% of the world's handwoven fabric comes from India.

What is Handloom?

A 'handloom' is a loom used to weave fabric without having to use any electricity. Hand weaving is performed on pit looms or frame looms which are usually located in the homes of weavers. Yarn spun by hand is called ‘hand spun yarn’ and yarn spun by machine is called ‘mill spun yarn’. Fabrics woven from hand spun yarn on handloom are called ‘khadi’, while mill spun yarn woven on handloom is called ‘handloom fabric’.

The handlooms are divided into four major groups based on their structure and working method, namely:

  1. primitive looms

  2. pit looms

  3. frame looms

  4. semi-automatic looms. 

The weaving process can be broken down to several phases starting with dying. Weavers apply colours to the threads during the dying process. The threads are dried under the sun for more than five hours, combined with chemicals. The weavers segregate the threads after the dyeing process to dry it up further. Then the separated threads are placed under the sun and dried for another three hours before the process. 

Note: The Pochampally Village weavers from Telangana produce exclusive sarees with intricate and distinctive designs. 

What are the measures taken to boost Handloom sector in India?

Government of India has taken several measures to boost the Handloom sector. The Handlooms (Reservation of Production Articles) Act, 1985, Handloom Census, Geographical Indication, e-commerce initiatives such as 'e-dhaga, capacity building programs and the overall revival of handlooms and Khadi Gramodyog industries are important steps launched by the GoI to boost the handloom sector in India.

The ‘solar charkha’ program which was recently launched was set up to support artisanal clusters. It is also important to address handloom concerns such as those related to the lack of market connections, pricing, raw materials in labour-intensive activities such as spinning, weaving, and embroidery work.

What are the benefits of handlooms?

Handloom weavers and fabrics are an integral part of the cultural heritage and tradition of India. Some of the benefits of handloom fabrics and handloom sector are as follows: 

  • Hand woven cotton, compared to mill made cotton, is known for its breathability. This means that it allows for more air penetration which makes it cooler, smoother and more absorbent.

  • The handloom industry meets the basic human requirements

  • This also contributes significantly to exports and the GDP

  • This sector provides jobs in both rural and urban areas

  • The sector contributes approximately 15 percent of the country's clothes production

  • Handloom sector is praised for its ease of manufacture, openness to innovation, uniqueness, adaptability to supplier requirements

  • Production in the handloom sector was estimated to be about 3547 million square meters during 2014-2015

How was National Handloom Day 2019 observed?

On 7 August 2019 the 5th National Handloom Day was celebrated throughout the country. Bhubaneswar, Odisha was chosen as the venue for the Handloom Day festival, owing to its rich history of handlooms and empowering the region's women and girls.

Handloom - Quotes

  • “I do regard spinning and weaving as a necessary part of any national system of education.” - Mahatma Gandhi

  • “The handloom weaving is in a dying condition. Everyone admits that whatever may be the future of the mill industry, the handlooms ought not to be allowed to perish”. - Mahatma Gandhi

  • “You see, when weaving a blanket, an Indian woman leaves a flaw in the weaving of that blanket to let the soul out.” - Martha Graham

  • “We all have our own life to pursue, our own kind of dream to be weaving, and we all have the power to make wishes come true, as long as we keep believing.” - Louisa May Alcott

  • “A good life is like a weaving. Energy is created in the tension. The struggle, the pull and tug are everything.” - Joan Erikson

  • “Our weavings in the cosmic web are not self-contained. Rather, they are 

  • part of the design of our collective humanity.” - Lisa Hunt
     

Disclaimer: The above information is for general informational purposes only. All information on the Site is provided in good faith, however we make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of any information on the Site.

National Handloom Day - FAQ

1. How is handloom made?

A handloom sarees is often woven from strings, wooden beams, and poles on a shuttle-pit loom. The handloom sarees are made from threads of silk or cotton. The weavers have traditionally outsourced and sized the thread dyeing and warping operations, adding the cloth, weft winding and weaving.

2. How many types of handloom are there?

Loom is the simplest hand-weaving device. Broadly speaking, the handlooms are divided into four major groups based on their structure and working method, namely primitive looms, pit looms, frame looms, and semi-automatic looms.

3. Who invented handloom in India?

Sir Aurel Stein found Indian floral prints, dating back to the 18th century A.D., in the icy waters of Central Asia. The evidence indicates that traditional hand-loom textiles are possibly the oldest of all of India's arts and crafts.

4.  What is the purpose of a handloom?  

The handloom is a manually operated loom used without the assistance of electric power to weave fabric. It is a woven fabric that uses the weaver's mechanical energy, and the handloom 's motion is controlled solely manually rather than using electric power.