Published On : Sat, Nov 28th, 2015

Bhandara tussar-silk captures attention of Nagpurians during Kalidas Mahotsava

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CM Fadnavis and Union Minster Gadkari could not hold themselves praising the tussar-silk products.
Tussar silk stalls during Kalidas Mahotsava was a venture of Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal.

tussar silk
Nagpur:
The recently concluded Kalidas Mahotsava at Vasantrao Deshpande Hall premises, here in the city, was centre of attraction for its varieties which also included exhibition of cultural and traditional art items as well as tourist-spots of East Vidarbha. What attracted the Nagpurians most was the tussar-silk products from Bhandara.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari as well as other dignitaries could not hold themselves praising the tussar-silk products. Many visitors booked their orders for purchase of attractive tussar-silk items.

The stalls of tussar-silk products were organised by Mahila Bachat Gats, and they really must have worked hard to produce remarkable products to popularize the tussar-silk products of their district Bhandara.

Orders worth Rs 50,000 placed
The stalls consisted of beautiful saris, shawls, ‘odhani’, emboridered products, pillow-covers, bed-sheets, Punjabi dress, scarf, greetings and files, etc, and the visitors bought items worth Rs 50,000 on the spot and many booked orders worth Rs 50,000.

On the last day of exhibition, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari visited stalls and inspected the products minutely. He could not hold himself praising the products. The women folk engaged in such products apprised the minister of their art and designing etc on silk-cloth. It was informed that the tussar silk-worm is bred on the leaves and branches of trees of ‘Yen’ species and silk is drawn from them in the form of yarns through reeling machines. They also narrated several interesting and knowledge-giving facts about their profession. A video presentation of the profession on ‘sericulture’ was also made on the occasion under cooperation from Chinese consulate.

During Kalidas Mahotsava, CM Devendra Fadnavis also inspected the stalls of tussar silk. Bhandara district collector Dheeraj Kumar presented to Fadnavis a beautiful photo-frame made by women artisans of the sericulture.
Present on the occasion were Chinese Consulate General Chang and his wife Li, Nagpur Guaridan Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Tourism secretary Walsa Nair, divisional commissioner Anup Kumar, managing director of Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation Parag Jain, district collectors of Nagpur, Gondia and Wardha as well as heads of various departments.

Sources informed, the environment of Bhandara district is very congenial for sericulture. This is the reason the Mahila Bachat Gats came forward to develop their skill under the banner of Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal (MAVM). As many as 150 women from Mohadi, Paoni, Lakhandur and Bhandara tahsils are engaged in sericulture. Bhandara collector Dheera Kumar played vital role in getting market for tussar silk products.