Banarasi silk makes fresh waves abroad

LUCKNOW: Powered by chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s push for the ‘one district, one product’ (ODOP) scheme, Varanasi’s famous Banarasi silk has been making fresh waves in countries like Greece, Rome and the US, the government has claimed.
Though the supply of gowns and headgear for clergy to be worn on special occasions like Christmas began in 2005, more and more people abroad are now purchasing Banarasi silk.
In 2005, a trader from Varanasi’s Adampur Syed Hussain went to Greece and Rome to set up an exhibition of Banarasi silk. Impressed with his work, local designers asked Hussain to prepare gowns and headgear for the clergy in Rome, Greece and the US. Since then, Hussain has been supplying clothes for the clergy and often uses zardozi and brocade in the designs.
“To promote the ODOP campaign, the CM had urged people to buy these products as gifts for friends and family on festivals. As a result, people from other countries made a lot of purchases on Christmas and gifted these ‘desi’ products to their loved ones. These products included Banarasi silk products,” said the spokesperson.