Now, Pashmina fabric to get a distinct Varanasi identity

VARANASI: From the Himalayan highlands of Leh-Ladakh to the banks of river Ganga in Varanasi, the heritage handicraft of Pashmina is all set to get a brand-new identity.
Premium Pashmina products prepared by highly skilled Khadi weavers of Varanasi will be launched by chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Vinai Kumar Saxena, in the city on Friday.This is for the first time that Pashmina products are being produced outside the region of Leh-Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir.
“The KVIC will be selling the ‘Made-in-Varanasi’ Pashmina products through its showrooms, outlets and through its online portal,” Saxena told TOI on Thursday.
Pashmina is famous as an essential Kashmiri art form but rediscovery of Pashmina in Varanasi, considered to be the spiritual and cultural capital of India, is unique in many ways. The production of Pashmina prepared in Varanasi liberates this heritage art from the regional confines and creates a fusion of diverse artistry from Leh-Ladakh, Delhi and Varanasi.
The journey of Pashmina production in Varanasi begins with collection of raw Pashmina wool in Ladakh which is brought to Delhi for dehairing, cleaning and processing. The processed wool, in the form of roving, is brought back to Leh where it is handspun into yarn by women Khadi artisans on modern charkhas provided by KVIC. The finished yarn is then sent to Varanasi where it is woven by trained Khadi weavers into final Pashmina products. A group of women Khadi artisans from Leh will also take part in the launching ceremony of Banarasi Pashmina.
“The main idea behind this rediscovery of Pashmina in Varanasi is to generate sustainable employment opportunities for women in Ladakh and diversify the skills of traditional weavers in Varanasi, as envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Pashmina weaving in Varanasi would ensure round-the-year livelihood to women artisans in Leh-Ladakh where spinning activities are suspended for nearly half the year due to the extreme cold. To facilitate this, KVIC has also set up a Pashmina wool processing unit in Leh,” said the KVIC chairman.
According to him, Pashmina weaving in Varanasi is being done by four Khadi institutions — Krishak Gramodyog Vikas Sansthan, Varanasi, Shri Mahadev Khadi Gramodyog Sansthan, Ghazipur, Khadi Kambal Udyog Sansthan, Ghazipur and Gram Sewa Ashram, Ghazipur.