Surendranagar Choupal Highlights Revival of Tangaliya and Patola Crafts Through Artisan-Academia Collaboration
Artisans, researchers and academicians discuss value addition, skill preservation and future opportunities for Gujarat’s traditional textile crafts
The Surendranagar Choupal brought together artisans and design researchers to deliberate on the future of Gujarat's heritage textiles and explore ways to sustain their relevance in contemporary markets.
The session was led by Padma Shri 2025 recipient Shri Lavjibhai Nagjibhai Parmar, a master weaver of the Tangaliya craft. He was joined by fellow master artisans Mukesh, Dinesh, and Anil.
A total of 25 weavers from the Tangaliya and Patola weaving communities participated in the open discussion, which centred on preserving traditional craftsmanship while identifying new opportunities for the crafts.
Representatives from NIFT Daman and NIFT Gandhinagar also attended the event. Faculty members and students are currently in Surendranagar as part of a craft research and documentation initiative aimed at studying and recording these living textile traditions.
The Choupal addressed three primary themes—value addition, preservation, and encouraging the next generation to continue practising the crafts. During the discussions, participants also highlighted that NIFT reserves seats for artisans in its Bachelor of Design programme across its 19 campuses.
Representing NIFT were Dr. Vidhu Shekhar P, Academic Coordinator, Daman Campus, and Dr. Rahul Kushwaha, Craft Initiative Coordinator.
The role of the Ministry of Textiles in supporting traditional crafts was also discussed during the meeting. Participants acknowledged the Ministry's institutional support through programmes focused on craft clusters, skill upgradation, and design interventions.
The discussions also highlighted the contribution of the National Handloom Development Programme and the India Handloom Brand in improving market visibility for specialised crafts such as Tangaliya.
Artisans referred to recent initiatives aimed at connecting weavers directly with e-commerce platforms and exhibitions to improve market access and remuneration. Participants also emphasised the need for continued financial support for toolkits, looms, and documentation to support the long-term sustainability of these textile traditions.
The meeting concluded with a shared view that continued collaboration between the Ministry of Textiles, academic institutions and artisan communities will remain important for the future development of these heritage crafts.
