JAGATSINGHPUR: A weavers’ craft village - Bayana Gram - was inaugurated at Jaipur under Raghunathpur block of Jagatsinghpur district on Thursday. The crafts village will not just showcase the handloom heritage of the district but also be a one-stop shop for all handloom products.
Set up by the Handloom department in collaboration with Paradip Port Trust, Bayana Gram is aimed at reviving the fortune of 90 handloom weaver families in the village and providing a platform for the weavers to sell their products. It was inaugurated by Tirtol legislator Rajshree Mallick.
Collector Yamini Sarangi said the 90 families have 442 weavers, who will benefit from the project. “It will give them a platform for live display of weaving for the benefit of tourists visiting the village. This will also promote tourism and lead to overall development of Jaipur village,” she said.
The crafts village will be operated with the help of Sri Sri Parbati Weaver Cooperative Society. Mallick said at a time when traditional handlooms are fading into oblivion due to declining patronage and lack of marketing, the efforts of the administration to open Bayana Gram at Jaipur has brought hopes to revive the traditional handlooms.
To attract more tourists to the crafts village, the district administration has set up a state-of-art common facility centre, demonstration centre and overall infrastructure like roads, walkways, toilets and parking facilities at the spot. The weavers’ looms and their surroundings have been renovated as part of the project.
Weavers will get an opportunity to sell their products to tourists visiting the handloom village while the tourists can get a feel of the weaving tradition. Sources said the main products of Jaipur handloom cluster are Tassar and Cotton sarees. Sarees and other dress materials woven here are sold through Boyanika outlets.
PPT Chairman Rinkesh Ray and Director of Handloom department Susant Kumar Barik were present.