KIIT School of Fashion Technology, KIIT DU celebrated the 9th National Handloom Day at Campus 18 Auditorium on 07 August 2023. Prof Gnyana Ranjan Mohanty, Registrar, KIIT DU, and Prof Soumendyu S Ray, Director General, KIIT School of Architecture and Planning, KIIT DU were present as Chief Guests. Also present on the occasion was National Award-winning weaver, Bhikari Meher. Faculty from KIIT School of Management, KIIT School of Mass Communication and KIIT School of Law were also present.
After the traditional lighting of the lamp offering prayers to the almighty by the guests, Ms Gipsita Nayak, Deputy Director, KIIT School of Fashion Technology delivered the inaugural address and welcomed the guests. Addressing the audience, Prof Ray highlighted our rich cultural handloom heritage by narrating anecdotes from history. He urged the audience to include handloom clothes as 70% of the weavers are women. Hence, including handloom in our wardrobes will facilitate the upliftment of these weavers. Bhikari Meher was felicitated by the Registar during the occasion. The Registrar complimented the students of Fashion Technology the captivating exhibition showcasing innovative handloom products, paintings, and photographs created by students. He urged the audience to applaud for the budding artisans and craftsmen.
The National Handloom Day has been celebrated since 2015 to create awareness among the masses about the importance of the handloom industry & present a wide range of handloom products, planned & designed as per the modern-day market demands. Winners of various competitions based on the theme “Handloom & Heritage of Odisha” held by the School were also felicitated. Winners of prizes in various categories were as under:-
(a) Product Design – Ravi Krishna
(b) Photography – Siddhant Gupta
(c) Painting – Armaan Swain
