NEW DELHI: In a first of its kind initiative called 'One Station, One Product', the Indian Railways has started using its vast infrastructure and reach to promote famous indigenous products including handicrafts, handlooms and textiles made by local artisans.
In the last 60 days, the railways' department has managed to set up stalls selling these products at 70 railway stations, including 15 in railway stations across South India.
Channapatna's wooden toys, Sholapur's chadar and bedsheets, Burhanpur's famous jute handicrafts, Kolhapuri footwear, Howrah's famous tant-handloom saris, Asansol's terracotta handicrafts, the famous Assamese gomcha, Panipat's pickles, Moradabad's brassware, Amritsar's Punjabi phulkari, Tirupati's Kalamkari saris, wooden carvings and Kanchipuram saris, besides many other famous handicrafts and handloom products are on sale at the outlets at different railway stations under the 'One Station, One Product' scheme.
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"Stalls of these handicrafts and locally famous handloom products have been set up at respective stations giving the products and artisans access to a pan-India audience and customer base," said Gaurav Krishna Bansal, the executive director(Information and publicity) of Indian Railways.
Bansal further said that the stalls, set up across the country at 70 railway stations, are gaining a good response from passengers across India.
He said that handicrafts, handlooms and other local products, which have become synonymous with the identity of a city or town, have been put up for sale at the stalls making the railway station a hub of sale for local products.
Other famous handicrafts and handloom products of local artisans on sale in the stalls are Bihar's Madhubani painting, Nagpur's bamboo handicrafts, Bhagalpur's tussar silk products, Agra Cantt's marble handicrafts, Chuna's famous ceramic products, Kathgodam Kausani woollen shawls, Darjeeling's famous tea, Secunderbad's pearls and bangles, Balasore's cocoanut products, Madurai's Sungudi Sarees, Calicut's textiles, Rewa's betel nuts, Bhopal's Zadosi items and famous products from many other places.