MP developing textile and craft tourism

Indore: Aiming to connect tourists to the rich textile and archaeologically prominent places of Madhya Pradesh, the state tourism board is developing “Textile and craft tourism” by constructing artisan’s hub, cafeterias, home stays and digital museum in locations known for its textile like Chanderi, Maheshwar, Bagh and Unchehara. The famous arts and crafts of Madhya Pradesh will be linked to the tourist’s circuits, a move seen giving a platform to local artisans and showcase the rich handlooms and crafts to the tourists visiting the state.For the first phase of development, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board (MPTB) has received a grant of around Rs 7.45 crore from the Development Commissioner Handlooms under Ministry of Textiles for developing “Craft Handloom Tourism Village” in Pranpur village in Chanderi tehsil of Ashoknagar district in Madhya Pradesh that houses around 240 weavers specialized in making Chanderi sarees and locally handmade crafts. Chanderi sarees is one of the Geographical Indication (GI) tagged items of MP.The board has also submitted a proposal to the Development Commissioner Handlooms for developing “Textile Tourism” in Maheshwar. The board has proposed to develop Khariya and Keriakhedi villages in Maheshwar.Sheo Shekhar Shukla, principal secretary, Madhya Pradesh Tourism said, “The plan is to showcase the rich textile heritage of the state to tourists by developing a trail and curating trips around the village. We are including prominent textile and archeological places where we would involve the local community in developing the places into tourist friendly destinations.”As part of the project, the houses of artisans in Pranpur will be renovated and painted with local artistic pictures. A cafeteria, digital museum, amphitheater and a hub to display artistic items will be constructed.Shukla said, “The development of “Craft Handloom Tourism Village” in Pranpur will give a platform to local artisans. Tourists will get first-hand experience of artisans weaving on looms and will be able to interact with them. We plan to do the development by involving the local community to help them uplift economically.” The board also plans to develop home stays in these villages for tourists using locally available resources like stones and engage locals to design houses traditionally with pictures and art.The development work in Pranpur has started and is likely to be completed by the second quarter of the fiscal year 2023