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Second Phase of Sari Festival “VIRAASAT”- Celebrating 75 handwoven Saris of India begins today

New Delhi [India], 3 Jan: The second phase of the Sari Festival "VIRAASAT" will take place from the 3rd to the 17th of January 2023 at Handloom Haat, Janpath, New Delhi.

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Smt.Sitharaman at the festival


The festival, which runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., is organised by the Ministry of Textiles.

The second phase, with 90 participants from across the country, adds to the excitement by featuring famous handcrafted varieties of Saris such as Tie and Dye, Chikan embroidered Saris, Hand Block Saris, Kalamkari printed Saris, Ajrakh, Kantha, and Phulkari. These will be in addition to Jamdani, Ikat, Pochampally, Banaras Brocade, Tussar Silk (Champa), Baluchari, Bhagalpuri Sik, Tangail, Chanderi, Lalitpuri, Patola, Paithani, and other exclusive handloom Saris. Handloom Saris such as Tanchoi, Jangla, Kota Doria, Cutwork, Maheshwari, Bhujodi, Santipuri, Bomkai, and several other varieties such as Garad Korial, Khandua, and Arni Silk Saris will also be available.

The first phase of “VIRAASAT”- Celebrating 75 handwoven Saris of India started on 16th December 2022 and concluded on 30th December 2022. The event was inaugurated by Hon’ble Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman on 16th December 2022, along with Hon’ble Minister of State Smt. Darshana Jardosh and other women parliamentarians.

In the 1st Phase from 16th to 30th December 2022, 70 Participants took part in “VIRAASAT” event. A wide publicity program was taken up to advertise this event through Print Media by Newspapers, Posters, invitation cards Social Media, Cultural Program and Designers Workshop etc. The event has been a big hit, and along with impressive footfalls across age-groups, brought much needed attention to the sector and sales of handloom goods for the weavers.

A social media campaign has been launched under a common hashtag #MySariMyPride to support our handloom weavers. ­­­­­Coinciding with the 75 years of Independence, “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” there will be an exhibition-cum-sale of Handloom Saris by 75 handloom weavers. A series of activities are planned to for the visiting public such as:

  • Viraasat-Celebrating the heritage: Curated display of handloom saris.

  • Viraasat-Ek Dharohar: Direct retail of saris by weavers

  • Viraasat Ke Dhage: Live loom demonstration

  • Viraasat–kal se kal tak : Workshops and talks on sari and sustainability

  • Viraasat–Nritya Sanskriti: Famous Folk dances of Indian culture

The exhibition will be open to public from 11 am to 8 pm. Handloom saris drawn from some of the exotic locations of India are on display and sale at the exhibition.

The event is likely to bring renewed focus on the age-old tradition of Sari weaving and thereby improve earnings of the handloom community.

Handloom sector is a symbol of our country’s rich and varied cultural heritage, besides being one of the key sectors providing employment to a large number of people, especially women. The event celebrates both the tradition as well as potential of the Handloom Sector in its full strength.

Have glimpse here:



What exactly is AI (artificial intelligence)?

Pritish Bagdi

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AI is the intersection of computer science and data science, as well as machine learning, to create algorithms that can generate a system of predictions or analyses based on inputted data. Machines used in this technology are designed to mimic the human mind and can learn and improve over time to adapt their processes.

When it comes to art and design, AI has been applied in such a way that a constant stream of content can be created. However, the actual process of creating AI imagery is fraught with trial and error. When a creator enters such a platform, they are asked to provide a prompt, which can be as general or as specific as they want. As the machine learns and understands what is being asked of it, the images produced get closer and closer to the desired output. The smallest change to the prompt can completely change the imagery, and the more that is explored, the more detailed the final product.

Music, art, fashion design, and other creative fields are now subject to AI technology, in a sector that is rapidly evolving in response to accelerating interests. Experts in the field are also investigating whether AI can be creative without the need for human intervention in order to better understand the depth of communication between humans and machines.




President lays foundation stone for PRASHAD project in Bhadrachalam and UNESCO World Heritage Site

The President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu, laid the foundation stone for the project ‘Development of Pilgrimage Facilities at Bhadrachalam Group of Temples’ today at Sri Seetha Ramachandra Swamivari Devasthanam, Bhadrachalam in the Bhadradri Kothagudem District of the state of Telangana. She also laid the foundation stone for another project called ‘Development of Pilgrimage and Heritage Infrastructure of UNESCO World Heritage Site at Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple’ at Mulugu in the state. Both these projects have been approved under the PRASHAD (National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

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Addressing the gathering, the President noted that the famous temples of Telangana are visited by lakhs of pilgrims and they form the major component of domestic and foreign tourists. She said that tourism increases the livelihood opportunities and income of the people and also strengthens the local economy. The President appreciated the Ministry of Tourism for boosting the spiritual and cultural tourism by developing pilgrimage sites under the 'PRASHAD' scheme. Launched in the year 2014-15, the scheme aims to provide integrated infrastructure development to pilgrimage and heritage tourism destinations in the country.

The temple at Bhadrachalam, Sri Seetha Ramchandra Swamyvari Devasthanam, is said to be more than 350 years old and is closely associated with epic of Ramayana. It is believed that Lord Rama with his wife Goddess Sita and brother Lakshmana spent some part of their 14 years of exile at a village called Parnasala, a part of Dandakaranya forest near Bhadrachalam Temple. The project ‘Development of Pilgrimage Facilities at Bhadrachalam Group of Temples, Telangana’ has been approved by the Ministry of Tourism at an estimated cost of Rs 41.38 Crores. The components sanctioned include infrastructural interventions like Pilgrimage Amenity Centre, Parking Area development, Kalyan Mandapam, Street-scaping, Souvenir shops, Rain and Shade Shelters and Railings, E-Buggies facilities for Senior citizens and Divyaangjans, overall civil infrastructure improvement, Drinking Water and Toilet Facilities, Food Court, Solar Based Lightings, CCTV Surveillance and Digital Interventions.

Noting that tribal people, especially from the Koya community, gather to offer prayers to Sammakka Saralamma jaathra, the President said that such festivals and gatherings strengthen social harmony. “With these activities, our traditions continue to grow from generation to generation. It is imperative to keep our culture, traditions and customs alive”, she said. Appreciating the Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad, Telangana, for organising this Sammelan, she said that the Parishad is constantly striving for the overall development of the forest dwellers. The running of development centers organizing camps in tribal areas to take women forward in the direction of economic empowerment by Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad were commendable, said the President.

The President Smt. Droupadi Murmu, later, virtually inaugurated two Ekalavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) in Komaram Bheem Asifabad and Mahabubabad districts of Telangana. The Eklavya Model Residential School would be in every block with more than 50% tribal population of Scheduled Tribes and at least 20,000 tribal persons. The objective of EMRS is to provide quality upper Primary and Secondary and Senior Secondary level education (Class VI to XII) to Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in remote areas.

For More details about EMRS:

The event at Bhadrachalam was graced by Dr.(Smt.) Tamilisai Soundararajan Governor, Telangana, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Tourism, Culture & DoNER, Shri Puvvada Ajay Kumar, Minister of Transport, Telangana and Smt. Maloth Kavitha, Member of Parliament, Mahabubabad.

The President subsequently travelled to the Ramappa Temple in Mulugu district. The Ramappa temple of Lord Shiva, a perfect example of architectural brilliance, was built in 1213 AD by the Kakatiya rulers and has been inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list. This heritage temple attracts over 10 Lakh visitors every year and has a high visibility amongst the tourist circuit.

The President Smt. Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the project ‘Development of Pilgrimage and Heritage Infrastructure of UNESCO World Heritage Site at Rudreshwara Temple (Ramappa)’. This scheme which was approved by the Ministry of Tourism headed by Shri G. Kishan Reddy with the estimate of Rs 62 Crores. It aims to make Ramappa Temple, a world class pilgrimage and tourist destination, by providing state-of-the-art facilities for visitors while maintaining essence of heritage and tranquility of the site.

The scheme has approved three sites for interventions namely:

i) 10 Acre of Site (A) with Interpretation Centre, 4-D Movie Hall, Cloak rooms, Waiting halls, First -Aid Room, Food Court, Drinking Water and Toilet Facilities, Bus and Car Parking, Drinking Water and Toilet Facilities, Souvenir shops. ii) 27 Acres of Site (B) with Amphitheatre, Sculpture Park, Flower Garden, Road Developments, Drinking Water and Toilet Facilities, E-Buggies facilities for Senior citizens and Divyaangjans iii) Ramappa Lakefront Development. The event at the Ramappa temple was graced by Dr. (Smt.) Tamilisai Soundararajan Governor, Telangana, Shri G. Kishan Reddy Union Minister of Tourism, Culture & DoNER, Dr. V. Srinivas Goud Minister for Prohibition & Excise, Sports & Youth Services, Tourism & Culture and Archaeology, Telangana, Smt Satayavati Rathod Minister for ST Welfare, Women and Child Welfare, Telangana, Shri Errabelli Dayakar Rao Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development & RWS,Telangana and Smt. Danasari Anasuya Seethakka, MLA, Mulugu.


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