KVIC launches “Banarasi Pashmina” to boost self-sustainability & Artisanal Creativity
Context
The premium Pashmina products prepared by the highly skilled Khadi weavers of Varanasi were launched by KVIC.
About
About:
This is for the first time that Pashmina products are being produced outside the region of Leh-Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir.
KVIC will be selling the “Made-in-Varanasi” Pashmina products through its showrooms, outlets and through its online portal.
Pashmina is famed as an essential Kashmiri art form but the rediscovery of Pashmina in Varanasi, the spiritual and cultural Capital of India, is unique in many ways.
The production of Pashmina prepared in Varanasi liberates this heritage art from the regional confines and creates a fusion of diverse artistry from Leh-Ladakh, Delhi and Varanasi.
The collection of raw Pashmina wool from Ladakh and is then brought to Delhi for de-hairing, cleaning and processing.
The processed wool, in the form of roving, is brought back to Leh where it is handspun into yarn by women Khadi artisans.
The finished yarn is then sent to Varanasi where it is woven by trained Khadi weavers into final Pashmina products.
About Pashmina
The word Pashmina comes from the Persian word 'Pashm' which means 'soft gold.
Pashmina comes from an animal fibre Cashmere, derived from the Changthangi goat of Ladakh.
It is indigenous to the high altitude regions of Leh-Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir.
It is well known for its warmth, lightweight, and softness in addition to its characteristic dye absorbing property.
Pashmina has been accredited by the Guinness Book of World Records for being the costliest cloth in the world.
Pashmina wool, the finest version of cashmere and it is thinner than human hair and highly prized in the international market.
Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)
It is a statutory body established under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act, 1956.
It functions under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
Objectives:
The social objective of providing employment
The economic objective of producing saleable articles
The wider objective of creating self-reliance amongst the poor and building up a strong rural community spirit