Of the many stories about khadi, the one that’s most romantic is about Bengal muslin, a fabric coveted by sultans and nawabs for being so fine that it could pass through a ring. On the verge of dying out, a group of weavers in Nabadwip in Nadia district of West Bengal revived it sometime in the 1990s. In fact, Ritu Kumar sourced khadi with this fine count for her ensembles from an old weaver in Nabadwip, who has since died. Recently, Rabindranath Saha, a master weaver from Kalna in Bardhaman district, developed a technique to make the 500-count cloth using a faster, less laborious method with the help of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission. He was awarded the Sant Kabir national award this year for his innovation. Saha sells his 500-count cotton khadi for Rs 1,600 a metre. His next challenge is to weave a 1,000-count khadi. Numbering up Employment: 9.50 lakhs Total Production: Rs 585.25 crore Sales: Rs 799.60 crore Export: Rs 104.84 crore Number of government outlets around the country: 7,050 (Figures for 2008-09 from the Khadi and Village Industries Commission)
Would like to see a 500 count yarn and fabric thereof myself
