Artfed chairman Biswajit Daimari (right) at the news conference. Picture by Eastern Projections

Nov. 21: Get the musicians and the crowds will follow. It is with this mantra in mind that the Assam Apex Weavers and Artisans Cooperative Federation Limited (Artfed), the organisers of Sualkuchi Vastra Utsav, have approached a top artiste like Zubeen Garg.

The festival, beginning tomorrow at Sankarkshetra in the silk town of Sualkuchi, will continue till December 7.

“The artisans work from day to night on the looms and they need entertainment,” the managing director of Artfed, N.N. Rana Patgiri, said at a news conference today.

While the Zubeen Garg Nite is slated for Monday, the other attractions include programmes by musical groups of Mumbai, Darjeeling and Calcutta.

Sualkuchi Vastra Utsav is held to boost the Indian handloom sector with special emphasis on silk weaving at Sualkuchi, the largest silk-weaving village of Assam.

Actor Asrani will be present at the inaugural programme that will be attended by chief minister Tarun Gogoi, Patgiri said.

There will be a cultural programme every evening and local artistes will participate to make the event a big hit.

Situated on the north bank of the Brahmaputra, Sualkuchi is barely 30km by road and 12km by ferry from Guwahati. It has also been included under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Centre’s Endogenous Tourism Project.

Altogether 37 participants from Assam and other states, including Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan, have confirmed their participation.

The total budget for holding the event has been estimated at Rs 36.05 lakh.

A theme pavilion of 1,000 square ft has been set up to display products developed by Artfed and make the people aware of the colour trend.

The Weavers’ Service Centre, Guwahati, will display their weaving skill and exquisite designs on silk.

“We are now tapping the market in Canada as many Indians live there,” Patgiri said, adding that Artfed has made forays into the vast muga market in Europe and Asia.

It will participate in global textile meets this year and will be opening its 61st sales counter at Titabor shortly to reach every nook and corner of the state.

“The sale last year was Rs 91crore and it is expected to increase by 10 per cent this time,” Patgiri said.