Due to the sustained effort of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress Government, muslin is gaining popularity again. This is evident from the fact that the sale of muslin products at Biswa Bangla outlets – in Bengal and Delhi – has been rising steadily.
Having its origin in Dhaka, and hence called ‘Dhakai muslin’ in Bengali, the fabric is the pride of Bengal, when it comes to handmade fabrics. Muslin is made from the finest cotton, weaved into a glossy and a very light fabric, and hence an embodiment of royalty and luxury.
The muslin products sold through Biswa Bangla outlets are in high demand – sarees, handkerchiefs and jewellery for women, and shirts for men. The glossy jewellery and sarees are quick attraction-grabbers for the eyes of customers.
After coming to power in 2011, Mamata Banerjee had taken a special initiative to organise the weavers of muslin. There are around 300 families who are associated with the production of muslin sarees. They have been given training by experts to bring their designs and production techniques up-to-date and a Muslin Hub has come up in the district of Nadia, the traditional centre for muslin in the State. An exclusive outlet named Club Muslin has also been opened at the Dakshinapan shopping complex in Kolkata.
In keeping with the times, along with sarees, the weavers are also manufacturing kurta, pyjama, kurti, handkerchief, bed linen and costume jewellery. Kurta, pyjama and kurti are available in different colours.
Source: Millennium Post