Project Muslin evokes great response among domestic, foreign buyers

Project Muslin, an initiative taken by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to revive the state’s highly acclaimed fabric for centuries has evoked great response among the buyers, both domestic and foreign.

The initiative of West Bengal Khadi and Village Industries Board (WBKVIB) under the department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has been crowned with success.

The Club Muslin, an exclusive brand of legendary Bengal fabric with a modern approach of market promotion has yielded results.

The goal of this brand is to ensure quality of the hand spun and hand woven muslins.

Attention has been given to design, layout and premium quality muslin garments.

The venture has attracted new generation because of the contemporary style and design which in turn will help the weavers to survive and will give a new lease of life to the heritage product.

The Project Muslin has successfully demolished the long-standing belief that muslin can produce 

sarees only.

It is a well known fact that Price Dwarkanath Tagore had presented muslin sarees to Queen Victoria. The aristocrats in Europe used to wear gowns made of muslin.

Apart from sarees, dhotis, kurtas , shirts, Aligarh pajama, Punjabi, jackets, boxer pants, draw sting pants, dyeing rolls, bed sheets, bed runnrs, pillow covers, curtains, cushion covers, handkerchiefs and angabastra made from muslins have become very popular among the younger people. Handbags and junk jewellery made from muslins have also become popular.

The origin of muslin cotton in Bengal is a thousand years old. It was appreciated for its lightness and distinctive motifs by many travellers.

Hand woven from uncommonly delicate hand spun yarn made with 100 per cent cotton, muslin is a soft, gentle and versatile fabric.

After coming to power in 2011, Mamata Banerjee gave special emphasis to the revival of Bengal’s own heritage and culture.

The WBKVIB was revived and it identified 600 families in Nadia, Murshidabad, Birbhum. Burdwan, Hooghly, Malda and Paschim Midnapore districts which are the chief producers muslin in the state.

The number has now gone up to 1,000. Muslin Tirtha has been set up in Krinanagar to give all facilities to the weavers. The designers have been engaged to make contemporary designs. To popularise the item, it is available in all Biswa Bangla stalls which will be opened in foreign countries shortly.