Visitors look at the colourful display of khadi garments at the Khadi Gram Udyog Mela at Town Hall in Ranchi. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Ranchi, Dec. 6: Khadi is back with a vengeance.

And the industry is juggling to meet the market demand keeping in tune with the latest fashion, designs and trends.

This is evident in the displayed items at the 10-day Khadi Gram Udyog Mela at Town Hall here.

Varieties of khadi silk and cotton garments are being exhibited in 50 stalls at the exhibition.

Manager of Chhotanagpur Khadi Gramudyog Sansthan, Tiril, Ranchi, Raj Pal Sahu said the craze for khadi garments has increased in the last few years. Sahu attributes the rise in khadi demand among the new generation to comfort and durability.

?And of course, Gandhiji?s dream for everyone to wear khadi is also being revived. Earlier, khadi garments were unpopular but now it has reached the people through exhibitions,? added Sahu.

The khadi industry, under the government?s Rural Employment Generation Programme, has provided 30 per cent subsidy to the unemployed youths in rural areas to start their own small scale industries.

Cocoons are collected from Chaibasa and given to 400 weavers engaged in making silk. The workers are mostly from the local villages of Chaibasa.

Parmanad Singh, stall owner of Singhbhum Gram Udyog Vikas Sansthan, said, ?The villagers of Singhbhum also collect cocoons from Manoharpur and Chakadharpur.?

Muskesh Prasad Singh, stall owner of Adim Jati Samgar Vikas, Angadablock said that 60 workers are engaged to make designer kurtas. They take two days to make one kurta.

The local tailors are explained about the latest trend in fashion and they design it accordingly. ?The market has become so competitive that we have to keep in pace with time and fashion,? Singh said.

But some of the intricate designs on silk and cotton khadi are made by the workers of Bholpur and Shantiniketan in West Bengal.

Pravesh Chandra Roy of Santhal Paragana Gram Udyog Samiti, Deoghar, said, ?About 100 youths from Sahebganj district are engaged in weaving salwar suits, which costs Rs 1,100 to Rs 2,000. The prices are reasonable and are within the reach of the customers.?

The customers can get 30 per cent discount at the fair.

Manisha Kumari, browsing through the displays at Khadi Gram Udyog fair, said, ?I have purchased designer khadi silk salwar suits with floral motifs. The designs and patterns are beautiful. Khadi is in vogue now. The khadi industry has risen to cater to the hip crowd.?

The exhibition has khadi silk designer shirts in different colours and dupatta-cum-shawl in both silk and cotton khadi. The prices range from Rs 100 to Rs 200.

Kapil Deo Singh, in- charge of the stall Khadi Gram Udyog Sangh, Jamshedpur, said, ?The khadi cotton shirting, which were used to make kurtas, are now being used to make shawls and duppatas with floral designs.?

No wonder that the young generation is flocking the fair to check out the designer shirts, salwar suits, shawls, pyjama-kurtas with intricate patterns and designs.