On National Handloom Day, Guwahati Designer Crafts Angavastra Bearing PM Modi’s Portrait

On the occasion of National Handloom Day, celebrated annually on August 7, a special tribute was paid by Guwahati-based fashion designer Sanjukta Dutta, who crafted a handwoven angavastra featuring the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Sharing her creation on social media, Dutta said the angavastra was a personal tribute to PM Modi for declaring August 7 as National Handloom Day, a move that gave weavers across the country long-overdue recognition.

“As a humble tribute to the visionary leadership of Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, for his inspiring initiative in declaring August 7th as National Handloom Day — a milestone that honors India’s rich weaving heritage and its artisans worldwide — I express my heartfelt gratitude through the design of a handwoven angavastra featuring his image. This symbolic creation celebrates his unwavering commitment to reviving and promoting the handloom sector,” she wrote on Facebook, alongside a photo of the intricately woven piece.

Meanwhile, PM Modi also marked the day by amplifying an article written by Union Minister Pabitra Margherita, calling attention to India’s rich tradition of handloom weaving and how it's now being celebrated globally. “India is weaving a vibrant story of tradition, innovation, and empowerment,” the PMO shared on X.

National Handloom Day is observed every year on August 7 to commemorate the launch of the Swadeshi Movement in 1905. It was first officially celebrated in 2015 after PM Modi’s announcement in Chennai, and has since become a symbol of pride for India’s weaving communities,  many of whom live and work in remote, rural areas.

This year marks the 11th edition of National Handloom Day. The main event is being held in New Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam, where the President of India is expected to honour 24 awardees , including five recipients of the Sant Kabir Award and 19 National Handloom Awardees, for their contribution to preserving and promoting India’s weaving traditions.

Among them are not just traditional weavers, but also designers, cooperatives, and entrepreneurs who have helped bring Indian handloom to newer audiences. The awards include cash prizes, shawls, plaques, and certificates, but most importantly, they bring visibility to artisans who usually remain behind the scenes.

In a unique move this year, the Ministry of Textiles also organised a “Handloom Hackathon” at IIT Delhi to encourage young minds to come up with creative solutions for challenges in the handloom sector. Participants included fashion students, technologists, and weavers. Promising ideas will receive long-term support to turn them into real-world projects.

Back in Guwahati and across Assam, weavers and handloom lovers have also been marking the occasion with exhibitions, local fairs, and social media campaigns showcasing traditional patterns like gamusa, muga silk, and eri. For many, handloom is not just a profession, it’s a way of life passed down through generations.

According to recent government data, over 35 lakh people are directly involved in handloom weaving in India, and nearly three-fourths of them are women. Many of these women work from home or in small cooperative units, balancing family responsibilities with weaving, which offers both income and independence.

In fact, India produces more than 95% of the world’s handwoven fabrics, a staggering figure that highlights just how unique the country’s handloom heritage is. While in many parts of the world, hand-weaving is seen as a dying art, in India, it remains alive and evolving, adapting to modern tastes while preserving the essence of tradition.

From colourful sarees and shawls to elegant home decor, Indian handloom continues to find admirers both in India and abroad. In 2024 alone, handloom exports reached buyers in over 20 countries, with the US, UAE, and several European nations being the biggest markets.

But beyond the statistics, National Handloom Day is ultimately about celebrating the people behind the loom: the weavers, spinners, dyers, and designers whose quiet artistry keeps this age-old craft alive.

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