Handloom Day : State Award conferred on 4 women
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 07 2026: As in other parts of the country, the 12th National Handloom Day was observed today at City Convention Centre, Palace Compound.

Organised by the Department of Textiles, Commerce and Industry, the programme was held under the theme "Threads of Tradition : Weaving Culture Through Handloom", celebrating the State's rich and vibrant handloom heritage while recognising the contributions of its weavers and artisans.

The event also included an exhibition showcasing a diverse range of Manipur's handloom products.

Handloom Day : State Award conferred on 4 women

During the programme, the Governor, along with other dignitaries, released a data book on handloom and a coffee table book titled Threads of Heritage : Traditional & GI-Tagged Hand- woven Stoles of Manipur.

He also conferred the State Award for 2025-26 on three outstanding hand-loom weavers-Pangeijam Tamu Devi, Tongbram Reena Devi, and Golmei Bamdinliu and one outstanding handicrafts artisan M Mohini, in recognition of their exceptional contributions to their respective fields.

Each awardee received a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh and a citation.

In addition, the winners of the Best Cluster Designer Award for Home Furnishing at the National Handloom Designers' Conclave 2026 were felicitated.

A film titled "Crafting Global Elegance" was also screened.

Addressing the function as the chief guest, the Governor emphasised the need to establish a dedicated market to promote Manipur's handloom industry.

He also underscored the need to develop a sustainable ecosystem in which the Government, financial institutions, designers, educa- tional institutions, entrepreneurs, and the weaving community work together to strengthen and promote the sector.

Stating that the Government has been providing raw materials to weavers and artisans under various Central and State schemes, Bhalla said the handloom sector is the State's largest traditional livelihood sector.

Manipur has around 2.44 lakh weavers and artisans, he added.

Stating that Moirang Phee, Saphee Lanphee, and Wangkhei Phee have received Geographical Indica- tion (GI) tags, he said the Government is taking steps to obtain GI tags for 18 other handwoven textiles of the State.

The Governor, meanwhile, congratulated Takhel- lambam Rani Devi of Kakching district on receiving the National Handloom Award 2026 in the Women's Weaving category for her exceptional work on 'Shaphee Lanphee in Silk Innaphi'.

He also honoured the State Handloom Award recipients and the handloom weavers of Manipur for their invaluable contribution to preserving the State's rich weaving tradition.

Chief Minister Y Khemchand, in his presidential address, said his mother used to weave Iyong Phee when he was young, as his father's salary as a teacher and the income from their paddy field were not sufficient to support the family.

Recalling that his parents had nine children, he said his mother's earnings from weaving played a vital role in sustaining the household.

Khemchand highlighted that the celebration aims to promote and encourage the country's handloom and handicrafts sector.

In Mani-pur as well, both men and women engaged in hand-loom and handicrafts con- tinue to produce a wide range of innovative products.

Their creations are not only gaining recognition within the State but are also earning appreciation and popularity in markets beyond the State.

He continued that most of the handloom products are being used by women and encouraged men to also use handloom products.

While the handloom sector in most Indian States employ men, women account for 95 per cent of the workforce in Manipur's handloom sector, he added.

The programme was also attended by Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel, Additional Chief Secretary of Textiles, Commerce and Industry Anurag Bajpai, Padmashree Muktamani and First Lady Jyoti Bhalla also attended the programme among others.