Bollywood icon Madhuri Dixit attended a state-level celebration of India’s 11th National Handloom Day today at Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar, reiterating support for the nation’s rich handloom legacy and its talented artisans.
Inaugurated by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the Exhibition-cum-Knowledge Sharing for Textile Advantage (EKTA) featured the Bollywood Diva as a special guest. Pradeep Bal Samanta, Minister of Odisha Co-operation and Handloom, Textile, and Handicrafts, was also in attendance.
Every year on August 7, National Handloom Day is celebrated to honor the beginning of the Swadeshi Movement in 1905, a significant movement that promoted the use of domestic goods and disapproved of colonial imports, with a focus on handwoven fabrics. In 2015, the Indian government formally declared August 7th to be National Handloom Day in honor of its historical significance.
With innovative projects like the Handloom Hackathon 2025, which aims to promote innovation in the industry, this year’s festival not only honored India’s handloom heritage but also looked to the future.





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