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9th April 2022 (7 Topics)

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
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