khadi

KHADI is a coarse homespun or handspun cloth made in India , Bangladesh and Pakistan. It’s a very versatile fabric which is cool in summers and warm in winters.

In India khadi is not just a cloth , it’s a movement started by Gandhi ji in 1918 as relief program for the poor masses living India’s villages. The Britisher’s took raw cotton from India to Britian where they were woven into to make clothes. These clothes were then bought back to India to be sold at hefty prices.

The khadi movement aimed at boycotting foreign goods and promoting Indian goods, thereby improving India’s economy. Therefore, Ghandhi ji began promoting the spinning of khadi for rural self-employment and self-reliance. The wheel was a emblem of human dignity and equality. It was a symbol of salvation and social responsibility.  This movement gave birth to SWARAJ. His concept behind launching swaraj was to lay stress on India discarding British political, economic, bureaucratic, legal, military and educational institutions.

Khadi was introduced as a way of people to be self-reliant and give employment to the rural. It also acted as a subsidiary occupation and soon became the fabric of communication and charkha became the weapon against the British.

 This use of Khadi slowly disappearing with the new generation artists and designers of today. Another use of Khadi that bears the tests of time is it being used for the National Flag. This preserves the original message and serves as a reminder till this day.