2nd Handloom Day to be observed on August 7, 2016

The second National Handloom Day will be celebrated all over the country, on August 7, 2016. The main function will be held in Varanasi in which Sant Kabir Awards and National Handloom Awards will be presented. The Union Textiles Minister Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani would be the Chief Guest on the occasion. Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (I/C), Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy would be the Guest of Honour. Minister of State, Textiles, Shri Ajay Tamta and the Textiles Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Mahboob Ali would also grace the occasion.
•    Besides the main event in Varanasi, there will be many other programmes. The National Handloom Day will also be celebrated at state level in all the states. In addition, the Day will also be celebrated in more than 200 handloom clusters. Doordarshan will also broadcast a special one hour long programme on that day in the evening.
•    7th August was notified by the Government of India as National Handloom Day vide Gazette Notification dated 29th  July, 2015 with the objective to generate awareness about the importance of handloom industry and its contribution to the socioeconomic development of the country in general and to promote handlooms, increase income of weavers and enhance their pride in particular. 
•    The date August 7 has been chosen due to its special significance in India’s freedom struggle; it was on this day in 1905 that the Swadeshi Movement was formally launched, at a massive meeting in the Calcutta Town hall. The movement involved revival of domestic products and production processes. The Government of India has declared August 7 as National Handloom Day every year, in memory of this.
•    The first National Handloom Day was celebrated last year and Hon’ble Prime Minister was the Chief Guest in the main event held in Chennai on 7th August, 2015