Textile Tourism in Chhattisgarh
India, a land of contrasts, has so much to offer that it may surprise explorers, researchers, and visitors alike. Every state has its unique cultural character, which includes anything from religion to interesting customs, traditions, and festivals. And the people’s attire is an important component of that. Not only the costumes, but also the fabrics used to manufacture them are distinctive to each Indian state. Every region throughout the length and breadth of the country has its ways for weaving, colouring and designing a variety of distinctive fabrics.
The government is taking a particular interest in linking this sector to tourism because of India’s rich heritage. Textile tourism has also been embraced by several tourism agencies and textile lovers. The government is also interested in developing textile tourism by establishing textile parks in several Indian states. Tourists will be able to visit several textile manufacturing centres across India as part of these tours. Furthermore, it will provide the government with additional revenue.
Textile tourism has become a buzz phrase among the tourism fraternity of Chhattisgarh to boost tourism in the state to a new level. Kosa, the state’s fabric, is well-known and popular the world over. Kosa silk is mainly derived from Antheraea mylitta, an Indian silkworm. It is a special type of tussar silk that is drawn out of the cocoons grown on trees like Saja, Sal and Arjun. The silk is widely popular owing to its sturdiness, purity and soft texture. This fabric is Chhattisgarh’s identity. The production of a single metre of Kosa Silk is a laborious process and becomes even more complicated due to the rarity of the Kosa worm.
Chhattisgarh’s two districts, namely, Korba and Janjgir-Champa, are known for producing high-quality Kosa Silk. The Kosa silk produced in “Champa” is treated as the best silk all over the world, and is exported to many countries. More than 17000 looms are spread across the state, making it an important source of livelihood for the local population. The world-class weavers of Kosa in the State have received plaudits from our Presidents, Prime Ministers and the country’s top brass.
Textile tourism may be made an intrinsic aspect of the rural tourism that we are already promoting in our state to give it a boost.
Designers and well-known individuals are already experimenting with new trends and styles using this cloth. In Kosa, even sarees have become a fashion statement. The fabric’s rough appearance has been the designers’ primary option. This is a fabric that may be used in any weather.
Also Read: Mahtari Vandan Yojana: A Lifeline for Women in Chhattisgarh
“Clothes mean nothing until someone lives in them.”—Marc Jacobs
The need of the hour is to emphasize the lesser-known textile and handicraft regions of Chhattisgarh in tribal belts and other regions, which will not only bridge the gap between weavers and tourists, but will also encourage overall development of tourism while adding value to the economic well-being of weavers and artisans.
Tourists play a significant role in boosting the local economy of a place. Textile tourism can thus be considered as one of the feasible strategies for drawing more visitors to Chhattisgarh. Specialised tours for locations with direct selling outlets, manufacturing units, and looms are being devised to fulfil this goal.
Views expressed by Vivek Acharya, IFS, Managing Director, Chhattisgarh Tourism Board
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