Marketing of Sambalpuri Handlooms A Study In Western Odisha

Abstract

Looking back to the history major populations of Western Odisha were involved in weaving sector prior 9 A.D and before 600 B.C1. The Britishers invaded India in the year 1600 and left India in 1947. During this spell the world witness two World Wars. The First World War was in 1914 and the Second World War was in 1939. There was already cottage handloom industry throughout the villages of Odisha. During national freedom movement Charkha and Swadeshi was the mantra propounded by Mahatma Gandhi. By 1914 the Power loom industry was underdeveloped. It could meet only 30% of the home demand. By the end of 1939, it supplied more than 85% of the home demand and from 1940 to 1948 the stimulus came from huge government orders and there- by rise in exports. During the Second World War the prices of textiles were very high and therefore in order to control the newlineprices of cloth, the Standard Cloth Scheme was carried out in India during the year 1943. This policy provided the cheap and standard cloth available to the poor people of the country2. newline newline