Rourkela, May 13 : As many as 17 young girls from peripheral villages have been inducted in Deepika Hast Kargha, a Handloom Weaving Centre set up by Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) in the heart of the Steel city of Rourkela.
The unit is managed by Deepika Mahila Sanghati, a leading philanthropic organisation of the region,
Deepika Hast Kargha located in the Deepika Mahila Jagriti Sansthan is equipped with all facilities and equipment for handloom making including pre-loom equipment, frame-looms as well as pit-looms.
The newly inducted trainees are from RS Colony Bondamunda, Koelsutta, Jabapanposh, Jabaghat and Pograbahal villages.
It is worth mentioning here that so far 42 girls have already been trained in this centre in various handloom weaving activities right from identifying the yarn, separation of hank, locating and joining loose ends, to weaving intricate designs on elegant silk saris. Including the 17 newly inducted trainees, the total number of girls under training at the Centre at present is 47.
Odisha has a rich legacy in handloom making and textiles of Odisha are famous for their quality and beauty. The objective of setting up of the Hast Kargha centre is to tap the intrinsic ability of the people of this place and providing them with a regular source of income. The centre also helps in preserving and promoting this cottage industry.
The women are also being taken to major handloom pockets in the state so as to give them the right exposure about the project. The zeal and zest of the young women to instil modernity into the products and enhance their marketability is noteworthy. During their visit to the Deepika Hast Kargha many dignitaries have effusively praised the texture and a aesthetic patterns of the handloom woven by the nimble hands of these women.
