Gamochas worth Rs 4 lakhs were sold a specially organized ‘Gamocha Mela’ in Mangaldai this Bihu.
The weavers of the area participated in the handloom and textiles department sponsored 7-day event at Mangaldai’s ‘Bor Pukhuri Par’ on the eve of Rongali Bihu. The weavers received a very good response from the buyers as they were able to sell Phulam Gamocha amounting to Rs 4 lakhs in a week.
“The overwhelming response from the buyers has once again reflected that the demand and love for hand-woven Gamocha or other dress material can never be challenged or threatened by the power loom-made gamocha or other dress materials imported from outside,” a buyer said. The crowd of buyers who thronged the Gamocha Mela has inspired and encouraged the weavers to get involved in traditional weaving.
At the initiative of Darrang deputy commissioner Ashok Kumar Barman, additional deputy commissioner Pankaj Chakraborty coordinated the matter with assistant director of handloom and textiles department Bipul Kalita and with the involvement of ‘Ekata bandhan’ – an NGO working on the hand loom, the ‘Gamocha Mela’ was organized with the unique idea to offer relief to the promising local artisans of Darrang who have been in search of an organized market for hand loom woven ‘Bihuwan’.
Himadree Choudhury, a housewife interested in the weaving sector who is leading the ‘Ekata Bandhan’ NGO as the secretary, appreciated the spirit of the district administration and the handloom and textiles department in organizing such a unique mela.
“We have not compromised with quality of our products and today we are immensely happy to receive this response from every section of the society,” said Himadree Choudhury.
She also added that they are planning to unite all the interested weavers in one platform so that they could earn their livelihood with the traditional hand loom products of the state. “If the government allot us a plot of suitable land, we are going to form a cooperative society so that all the weavers of the district could ensure their earning by weaving the dream flowers in the hand loom products,” she said.
