Mangalore , June 1, 2013:
By C D Souza
The two-week long Handloom Cluster Exhibition cum sale of Haleyangadi handloom cluster, which was inaugurated at Government Workers Hall near University College, Mangalore, on May 26, 2013, has received encouraging response from the general public.
The exhibition has been organized jointly by Dakshina Kannada Zillla Panchayat, Handloom & Textile department, Govt of Karnataka, Development Commissioner Textiles, Manthralaya, New Delhi and Commissioner of Textiles Development.
According to Mr H Shivashankar, Textile promotion officer, Haleyangadi cluster which is a combination of four cooperative societies of Kinnigoli, Edapadavu, Dakshina Kannada and Haleyangadi has about 200 members. “The exhibition cum sale is organized to give encouragement to these weavers to help them sell their products”.
The Haleyangadi cluster was formed by the initiative of the department of textiles which has encouraged setting up cluster at district levels to provide all possible help for the weavers. The Haleyangadi cluster was sanctioned only for the Padavu Prathamike Nekarara Sahakara Sangha but the cluster has become stronger with the inclusion of there more cooperative societies.
Shivashankar says that apart from helping weavers to clear their stock the department has been making concerted efforts to expose these weavers to the works of other weavers by taking them to other clusters to gain first-hand information.
The exhibition at Government workers Hall has on sale handloom sarees, lungis, bedcovers and bath towels. The thin towel called Bairus in Tulu language are also on sale at the exhibition. Shivashankaer feels that the sale might pick up as most employees get their salaries by month end or in the first week of the new month.
