Hemoprova Chutia Weaves Her Way to Padma Shri

GUWAHATI: Like the past years, the Government of India declared a long list of winners of the Padma Awards, the highest honours given to a civilian of the country apart from the Bharat Ratna. And the good news is that the names of three Assamese people are in this list of 106 names. Hemoprova Chutia is one of the Assamese citizens who is going to receive this Padma Shri in 2023.

Many have said that the women of Assam can weave their dreams on silk. But what a lady from Moran has done is beyond the dream of many. Unlike many expert weavers of the country who can weave beautiful designs, patterns and motifs into dresses, she has decided to weave the entire contents of a book into her creation.

Hemoprova Chutia is a weaver who has won many laurels at different levels for her weaving skills. She has created several beautiful creations using different fabrics including cotton, silk, wool and fine-cut bamboo pieces.

She previously wove the Bhagavad Gita a 700-verse Hindu scripture in Sanskrit that is part of the Mahabharata into silk. The master weaver had completed this task following complete traditional rituals. Another of her noteworthy works was the weaving of the entire Bhagavad Gita in the English language into a piece of cloth 280 feet in length and 2 feet wide. This project took her more than two years to complete.

Hemoprova Chutia also weaved the Naam Ghosa created in the 16th century into one of her creations. But her most noteworthy creations in the weaving of the complete Gunamala were authored by the Assamese Saint Srimanta Shankardev on a custom piece using cotton and woollen fabrics. The important part is that she is not weaving the Assamese version of the text, but also the translated Hindi and English versions.

A resident of Moran in the Dibrugarh district of Assam, Hemoprova Chutia was previously awarded the Assam Gaurav award by the Government of Assam. She had earlier received several honours and recognition for her expertise in weaving. She has received the 'Bakul Bon Award', 'Aai Kanaklata Award' and the state government's 'Hand-loom and textile award' for her excellence towards weaving.

Another important difference between the other weavers and this special lady is that she used beads to create beautiful designs in cotton and silk Gamocha which is very unlike the usual motifs and designs used in the region.

Also Read:  106 Padma Awards Declared for 2023: Complete List

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