National Handloom Week - WATW, “THREADS FROM THE NORTH-EAST”

WE ARE THE WRITERS, India’s premium content writing agency has taken an initiative to promote the vibrant handloom sector of India’s north-east region on the occasion of National Handloom Week (7th-14th April 2021) The seven sister states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura, which constitute the northeastern region of India, have a tradition of handloom that dates back several centuries. The region constitutes the highest number of handlooms across the country which is widely praised for its indigenous variety and interesting use of colour play and motifs. For instance, in Kautilya's treatise Arthashastra which was penned down in the 3rd century BC, Assam silk has been described as the best kind of silk in the entire world.

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In the North-eastern region, the maximum numbers of households engaged in weaving are women, which have resulted in a large percentage of the women population emerging as independent entrepreneurs. Mahatma Gandhi has rightly said, “Maidens of lovely Assam weave poems on their looms.”

Handloom has played a major role in the economic progress of the country. Following agriculture, it is India’s second largest job providing sector in the country. The handloom sector is unique to all families of the northeastern states especially in Assam and Manipur as they possess their own handlooms. The acceptance of handloom in all the states is universal as it is not a caste-specific occupation. The north-east region provides a favorable climate for the development and growth of the handloom industry. It is also a home to several silk varieties which are unique in the region including the Ahimsa Silk Endi which does not require killing of silk worms to extract its cocoon.

The golden silk Muga, which is produced in Assam, has been given the Geographical Indication (GI) status since 2007. The GI status is an indication that identifies goods as produced from a particular area, which has special quality or reputation attributable to its geographical origin.

In Manipur, the weaving activities are totally managed by women. In the state’s Meitei culture, the tradition of the art of weaving is based on mythical grounds. Weaving was so much culturally esteemed in the traditions of the Meitei that in the community ritual of Lai Haraoba, the dance performed by the Maibis (priestess) symbolically conveyed the art of weaving to the young girls. Traditionally, it was a practice for the bride’s parents to give a set of weaving apparatus to their daughter. The weaving apparatus was considered as an indispensable part of the marriage gift on her wedding. Though, possessing rich and vibrant varieties of handlooms, the people involved with this industry in the region are under-represented at the national level. In a first-of-its-kind initiative, WE ARE THE WRITERS is doing its best to provide a platform to the handloom sector and the people involved inside it. We take this opportunity to invite you to use our platform which will help you showcase your unique talent & hard work in front of the world. On this occasion, WATW is encouraging these start-ups and individuals involved with the handloom sector to participate in three different events.

Photography: The participants will be provided with the opportunity to share pictures of their unique products alongside the product description. There will be no bar on the number of pictures a particular participant can come up with. All the pictures shared with WATW will be used by our social media platform for the promotion of the product.

Reels/ Short Videos: The participants will be provided with the opportunity to share 10-20 second video clips of their unique products alongside the product description. There will be no bar on the number of short videos a particular participant can come up with. All the pictures shared with WATW will be used by our social media platform for the promotion of the product. The credit will be given for the same.

Content Writing: The participant can describe their product & its specialty in an essay format. The minimum word limit for the same will be 300 words. All the content shared with WATW will be used by our social media platform for the promotion of the product.

(The credit will be given for the same)

What will you take-away by participating in “Threads from the Northeast”?

The most vital part of this platform is "Your Recognition" at the end of the day. You will also be able to easily use our platform to broadcast your products and their uniqueness.

Also, prizes will be provided for the winners of the competition. The top prize will be 3 blogs published on the WATW website for a period of 3 months, the second prize will be 2 blogs published on WATW for a period of 2 months, and the third prize will be one blog published on our website for a period of 1 month.

What's more, free national Media Coverage will also be provided.