Handloom Weavers Cooperative Societies from various parts of the State are displaying aesthetically designed cotton and silk saris and chudithar materials at the handloom expo being organised by Handlooms Department at Sri Kottai Mariamman Temple near Rock Fort here.
Bright-coloured saris, woven by weavers in Madurai, Dindigul, Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar, Paramakudi, Kumbakonam and Karur, have been displayed at the expo. Bed sheets, bed spreads, pillow covers, tabletops and towels, woven by Erode weavers, are also on display.
Inaugurating the expo on Wednesday, Collector T.N. Hariharan said that 30 per cent rebate would be offered to all items displayed at the expo. The expo would be open between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. till January 10.
Handlooms Department had planned to sell Rs. 25 lakh- worth of handloom goods for this Pongal festival, said Assistant Director for Handlooms K. Satyamurthy.
The main objective of the expo was to improve the sale of handloom products, provide jobs to handloom weavers throughout the year, and ensure a sustainable income for them. It was an opportunity for consumers to buy quality handloom goods at a concessional rate, he added.