Uttarakhand to sell handicrafts through 'Himadri' stores

The next time you travel to Uttarakhand, a replica of the famous Kedarnath shrine can be a suitable memento to take back home.

The hand-made replica made from wood by local artisans of the Garhwal region would be made available to tourists and memento seekers from the Himadri showroom.

The brand Himdari would be developed by the Uttarakhand government to offer ageless handicrafts from both the Garhwal and Kumaon regions.

The range of products would be large, ranging from Kumaoni ‘aipan’ to ‘ringal’ baskets of Garhwal, all to be sold under one roof – Himadri.

With the aim to help artisans working on these age-old art forms by developing a sales network for them, the Uttarakhand government decided to revive ethnic and hand-made products, upgrade skills and provide marketing and logistic support as well.

 

The state specialised in production of woolen handlooms, cotton handlooms, silk products and products of natural fibers.

The government decided to provide marketing support through Himadri showrooms to these products.

The government aimed to open more showrooms in leading metros and hill stations in the country.

Showrooms were operating in Dehra Dun, Nainital, Badrinath and Delhi.

As part of the move, the government recently identified six clusters in the state famous for handicrafts through the ages.

These clusters were at Dunda in Uttarkashi district, Dharchula and Munsiyari in Pithoragarh district, Manglore in Haridwar district, Chinka in Chamoli district and Kalsi in Dehra Dun district.

In all these clusters, artisans were famous for their skills in making jackets, socks, sweaters and pankhis (shawls) made from wool.

The wool was either extracted from sheep or imported from Tibet.

Artisans in Uttarakhand used angora, harsil and marino wool and utilised their skills in different combinations.

These products reportedly sold well at recent exhibitions held in various parts of the country.