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Artisans of Himbunkar

Mr. Samir, of the Himbunkar Society, talks about the organization's goals and strategy.

"'Himbunkar' was established in 1984 through the initiative of the Himachal Pradesh government. The main goal of this organization is to preserve the rich cultural heritage of weaving and to support the livelihood of artisans across the state. It works under the banner of 'Himachal Pradesh State Handloom and Handicraft Weavers Apex Cooperative Society Ltd., and all primary societies in the state are members. At present, some 278 cooperative societies across the state are registered with Himbunkar. The organization works directly with more than 8,000 artisans.

"Currently, we are working on handloomed items like shawls, throws, blankets, scarves, carpets and many more, including ready-to-wear garments. The exquisite, ancient weaving technique of the Himalayas is still practiced and can seen in our products.

"To assist the artisans, we organize many exhibitions across the country throughout the year. Here they can display their creations. Over the years, we have received a good response and this has helped to improve the life of the artisans.

"Many of the subordinate societies registered with us have received awards from the Development Commissioner, Ministry of Textiles for their excellence in handloomed designs.

"To further assist the artisans and societies, we organize a training program for improving their skills and introducing new techniques. We form self-help groups, provide raw material to artisans on a wages-per-unit basis, and expose artisans to new markets. We also receive grants from the government of India for such activities.

"We always strive to produce the best and the most original. And in our continuous endeavor, we hope Novica will play a vital role in helping our products reach the international market, which in turn will help in improving the lives of those thousands of artisans linked with us."