Bengaluru’s Chinmayee Dave has worn her love for handloom on her sleeve with a public declaration on social media: “There can be no comparison of handloom with any machine-made products. It’s as natural as it could be. Proud to adorn handlooms #ILoveHandlooms”. And she’s also uploaded a photograph of herself wearing a lovely cream sari. Tasneem Dasgupta, also from the city, joins in with her voice: “#ILoveHandlloms... I love dressing in my handlooms for the comfort they provide while looking simply elegant. Moreover I feel truly proud that this is a skill that has empowered people in many Indian villages.”
These are just two of the women from Bengaluru who have participated in an online campaign to show handloom some much-needed love. GoCoop, India’s first online social marketplace for weavers and artisans launched the #ILoveHandlooms campaign across social media this Independence Day. The idea is to popularise handloom and pledge support for artisans and weavers. Through the campaign, GoCoop invites people to share their love for handloom by posting a photo or writing a story about a favourite handloom product they own.
Mridula Dang, from Delhi, says “I have a commitment to the weavers in my own way...just my bit to contribute and keep the master weaver tradition alive. Handlooms for me are a feel of the nation. Weavers from across the states get the wefts and warps in hues so brilliant! Handlooms allow our skin to breathe and that’s what makes them special.”
Even a young man has joined in, after having bought a sari for his mother! Ajay Kumar from Hyderabad says: “My mother is very fond of handlooms, especially the silk saris or ‘Pattu’ saris as we call it from Pochampally. I was searching for these saris to gift her. I loved the saris I bought online. I read about #ILoveHandlooms campaign feel very happy in supporting weavers and artisans through this campaign.”
GoCoop launched the ‘New Swadeshi Movement’ initiative on August 15 last year to reinstate pride in handcrafted products and to reintroduce the younger generations to handlooms, points out Siva Devireddy, GoCoop’s founder. “The very recent ‘National Handloom Day’ announcement and the #MakeInIndia campaign by the Government of India have given a major boost to the handloom sector. Similarly, our ‘#ILoveHandlooms’ campaign is also aimed at encouraging handloom lovers to take pride in their handlooms so that more people start appreciating and recognising the extraordinary skills and craftsmanship of artisans and weavers,” he says.
If you want to flaunt your love for handlooms join the #ILoveHandlooms campaign. Post a picture or write a story through Facebook or twitter and tag GoCoop with the #Ilovehandlooms hashtag.
