Shimla: The first-of-its-kind Himachal Haat, conceived under the HIMIRA brand and guided by the Office of the Handloom Development Commissioner, is set to bloom along Shimla’s historic Cart Road as a vibrant confluence of art, culture, and enterprise.
Envisioned as more than just a marketplace, it will serve as a living canvas of Himachali craftsmanship, where the colours of tradition meet the promise of self-reliance.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu laid the foundation for the Haat on Wednesday in the presence of Minister for Rural Development Aniurdh Singh, Mayor Surender Chauhan, and Deputy Mayor Uma Kaushal.
This unique initiative, to be set up for Rs two crore, seeks to celebrate the spirit of rural entrepreneurship,
empowering women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and local artisans whose deft hands and timeless artistry have long woven the identity of the hill state. The Himachal Haat will be developed as a modern tensile structure comprising 24–25 shops, which will be allotted to SHGs from all 12 districts of Himachal Pradesh.
It will bring together rural art and craft, handloom, handicraft, food processing products, and traditional Himachali cuisines under one roof, providing a permanent marketing and livelihood platform for SHG women.
In an equally significant development, the mayor of Shimla, Surender Chauhan, distributed sewing machines to 20 women, who were imparted 50 days of special training jointly by the Development Commissioner Handloom, the Government of India (GoI) and HP Handloom and Handicraft Corporation to upgrade their skills in handicraft and woollen products, besides making a variety of home utility items that have a large market demand.
The total number of people trained under this skilling and livelihood program has already crossed 200 in different batches.
They will also be provided a stipend of Rs 15,000, besides being helped in marketing their homemade products.
The mayor said he has already offered space to women’s self-help groups at the Padam Dev complex, where they can come twice a week and sell their products.
Among those present was Neelam Rattan, Dean of Students’ Welfare at APG Shimla University, who took a keen interest in the exquisite handmade creations crafted by the women artisans.