A #Thread for #NationalHandloomDay #Vocal4Handmade 5 reasons why you should buy, wear and use handwoven textiles. 1)Handloom sector employs second largest number of people in India after agriculture. Each time you buy a hand-woven textile, you are supporting rural economy. 
2) Handloom weaving is the original #MakeInIndia craft. People in Sindhu Saraswati civilisation knew how to cultivate cotton, how to extract yarn, how to dye it using natural colours and how to weave cloth, as seen from the shawl with the trefoil pattern of the priest king.
3) Rigveda has several hymns that refer to the process of weaving. In this Richa, weaving is used as a metaphor to pursue the lit path of knowledge. तन्तुं तन्वन रजसो भानुमिन्विहि, ज्योतिष्मतः पथो रक्ष धिया कृतान |
अनुल्बणं वयत जोगुवामपो, मनुर्भव जनया दैव्यं जनम् || ऋ १०|५३|६
अनुल्बणं वयत जोगुवामपो, मनुर्भव जनया दैव्यं जनम् || ऋ १०|५३|६
4) Women make up more than 70% of the workforce in the Handloom sector. Handlooms weaving is a powerful tool for financial independence and economic empowerment of women from rural India.
5) Handwoven clothes are a great example of slow and sustainable fashion. Usually woven from natural fibres like cotton, linen and silk, handwoven clothes are breathable and well suited for Indian weather. They also cater to all budgets. It is a myth that handloom is expensive.
