VIJAYAWADA: Commissioner of Handlooms and Textiles G Rekha Rani and honorary advisor for Handlooms and Handicrafts Development Suchitra Ella inaugurated the Gandhi Bunkar Mela (National Handloom Expo-2025) in Vijayawada on Monday.
Organised jointly by the State and Union governments, the expo will run from August 25 to September 7, featuring 95 handloom societies and institutions from across India. Andhra Pradesh is represented by 45 stalls, while others include Bihar, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. Products on sale include cotton and silk sarees, Kalamkari, Jhintana, dress materials, carpets and bed sheets at production cost.
Rekha Rani said handlooms are living symbols of India’s heritage and reminded that AP is home to renowned products such as Venkatagiri, Uppada, Mangalagiri and Dharmavaram. Ella said the expo will help weaver cooperative societies clear piled-up stocks and sustain employment.