Workshop calls for safeguarding indigenous designs, embroidery
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN
Imphal, March 11 2014 :
"Traditional clothes and garments from the ancient times which give us a unique identity of the nation should be preserved and secured so that they can be saved from losing its unique and ethnic beauty," said Dr..KSobita Devi while speaking at the inaugural function of the five-days long workshop and symposium cum exhibition on "Indigenous Embroidery Art of Manipur", held at Artist workshop cum Dormitory Hall, located at Palace Compound in Imphal today.
The programme has been organized jointly by Department of Art and Culture and Eastern Zonal Cultural, Kolkatta.
Sobita maintained that the main objective of organizing the workshop was to necessitate the people of preserving the age-old culture and traditional clothes which have been used from time immemorial.
"The patterns and embroidery of our culture gives very unique and specific identity among all the people in the world.
If these patterns and the clothes are lost in the passage of time, then it would become very hard for particular community to present itself in the world scenario, she added.
Further, she urged the people to strive hard to maintain our unique identity through the ancient cultural clothes and garments," Sobita stated.
Speaking at the occasion, director of Mutuwa Museum, Mutuwa Bahadur said that Manipur clothes are unique as they have been designed and hand woven using needles.
Beautiful embroideries and patterns have been created using our own hands which is a very rare kind in the whole world.
Patterns of flowers are used in clothes from outside of the state, but in Manipur, the patterns are also based widely on animals and fish which gives a unique beauty to the clothes, Bahadur maintained.
"If these hand woven designs and patterns clothes of the state are not claimed by the people, then outsiders might use our designs by producing clothes with the use of machines", he said.
He therefore urged the weavers and embroiders in the state to properly claim their designs when producing goods so that their handiworks are not taken advantage of.