BHUBANESWAR: Hours before being sworn in as the Prime Minister for the third term, Narendra Modi on Sunday flaunted a ‘Sambalpuri Bandha’ uttariya while paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Sadaiv Atal in Delhi.
Along with his trademark white ‘kurta and pyjama’, the prime minister wore a traditional handwoven cotton ‘Dui Phulia’ Sambalpuri Bandha stole, a weave that has earned the Geographical Indication tag.
“It is a kind of Odisha Ikat, - a tie and dye - handloom. This is the second time Modi ji has worn Dui Phulia Sambalpuri Bandha. He also wore it during his public meetings at Kandhamal, Balangir and Boudh,” said GI researcher Anita Sabat.
In what can be termed as a shift in focus towards Odisha where BJP emerged as the biggest winner by securing 20 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats, the prime minister has been flaunting Odisha handlooms during his public meetings in the state. Earlier during his visit to Sambalpur in February this year, Modi wore a Sambalpuri Bandha jacket with floral motifs on it. “I have immense respect for families that have kept this weaving tradition alive,” he had said.
On the day, Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan, who was sworn in as a union minister, also wore a Sambalpuri Bandha jacket for the occasion.