BY AMITA VERMA
The ‘Japan Carpet Fair’ will be exhibiting the world-famous foot-mats and wall hangings that are crafted and made by women of a Self-Help Group named ‘Gareeb Prerna Swayam Sahayta Samuh’ in the Khajuri village in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh.
“The group is making the business of Rs 2.5 lakh per year. The women have also started to sell wall hanging, foot mats, and show-pieces across the state which also benefitted by the ODOP scheme launched by the Uttar Pradesh government,” Director of the Self-Help Group, Afsana Begum, said.
She said that the rugs and mats woven by the local artisans in Mirzapur have already earned accolade from across the globe for its excellence.
The local weavers amalgamate new perspectives on traditional crafts with state-of-the-art design technology to create authentic designs and visual masterpieces that will be now be displayed on a global platform. The stunning work is infused with vibrant colours and soft lustre.
She said that the organisers of the fair were so impressed by the talents of these women that they invited the entire group to Japan and gave them an opportunity to sell their products at the Japan Carpet Fair which will be held in 2021.
“The local weavers of the handicraft product here inherit the century old legacy, which should be sustained. We are consistently engaged in providing a platform to these women through various programs. Not only the group under the National Rural Livelihood Mission has made itself financially stable but has also given a major boost to the carpet business,” Ramesh Priyadarshi, District Mission Director (DMD) said.
