When India Today is celebrated as National Handloom Day 2025, actress Rasika Dugal recounts her experience with hand looped textile. With her arresting presence and her unobtrusive beauty, Dugal said that she has started caring about the lush history and complex craftsmanship of every handloom cloth. She narrated the growth of her initial appreciation to the handloom to how the experience has now grown to be an embodiment of love, saying, “The more I kept finding handlooms, the more I fell in love with it.” This appeal connects to the essence of the mission on this day at hand: to celebrate and empower the millions of weavers that preserve the age-old art of textiles in India.
The handloom industry is emphasized by the celebration of the national handloom day on 7 th August; this day resonates with the events of the Swadeshi Movement which began in 1905. It is a day to celebrate the talent of the craftsmen whose effort is protecting a very important aspect of Indian heritage.
The Art of Weaving: Beyond the Fabric
Rasika Dugal is not only attached to handlooms in terms of beauty, she reports every thread as a tale. She speaks of the exclusivity of artistry and patience which is definitely not the same as any two handloom pieces can possibly be. It is what makes them special since they are unique in their own ways. Handlooms are compared with mass-produced fabrics, but unlike the latter, they do bear the touch of the craftsman, a testimony to dozens, maybe hundreds of hours of labor.
Dugal stressed the sheer diversity of different handloom culture in India, including the colourful Ikats of Odisha and fine Chanderis of Madhya Pradesh. This promotion of handlooms is her way of fanning the flames of change calling on the consumers to value the worth of these cloths and make a conscious effort in taking steps to use local handlooms and make purchases that can in turn contribute to a more sustainable way of life.
Sustaining Livelihoods: A Call to Action
As far as Rasika Dugal is concerned, the initiative of supporting handlooms is a step towards empowerment of weaver communities. The handloom industry is the biggest unorganized sector in the country where millions of people work who operate mainly in the rural belts in India. The consumer can help preserve the culture and financial wealth of these communities by necessarily purchasing handloom products.
The message that Dugal conveys on National Handloom Day is unambiguous: to preserve this tradition, it takes efforts made by many people. She motivates people to consult various types of handlooms, wear with pride and even invest in such items that are not only beautiful but carry significant meaning. It contributes to a great momentum to the movement as her voice calls to the new generation to fall in love with the eternal class and societal awareness power of Indian handlooms.
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A recent media graduate, Bhumi Vashisht is currently making a significant contribution as a committed content writer. She brings new ideas to the media sector and is an expert at creating strategic content and captivating tales, having working in the field from past four months.
