CM Majhi Congratulates Two Odisha Weavers on National Handloom Awards 2025
Synopsis
On National Handloom Day 2026, President Draupadi Murmu honoured Odisha weavers Ram Meher of Bargarh and Prafulla Kumar Sahu of Jagatsinghpur with the Sant Kabir and National Handloom Awards 2025. CM Mohan Majhi celebrated the achievement as a matter of pride for the entire state.
Key Takeaways
Ram Meher of Bargarh received the Sant Kabir Handloom Award-2025 from President Draupadi Murmu.
Prafulla Kumar Sahu of Jagatsinghpur received the National Handloom Award-2025 .
The awards were presented on National Handloom Day, 7 August , which commemorates the 1905 Swadeshi Movement.
CM Mohan Charan Majhi congratulated both weavers, calling the recognition a source of 'immense pride' for Odisha.
Bargarh is home to the GI-tagged Sambalpuri saree and is one of Odisha's most prominent handloom clusters.
Two weavers from Odisha brought the state to the national stage on 7 August 2026 — National Handloom Day — when President Draupadi Murmu honoured them with India's highest handloom recognitions. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi was quick to celebrate the moment, extending his congratulations to both awardees.
Writing in Odia, CM Majhi congratulated Ram Meher of Bargarh and Prafulla Kumar Sahu of Jagatsinghpur, who received the 'Sant Kabir Handloom Award-2025' and the 'National Handloom Award-2025' respectively from President Murmu. He called their achievement 'a matter of immense pride and glory for the entire state,' and said their 'extraordinary craftsmanship, dedication, and creativity' had earned Odisha's handloom tradition a 'special recognition on the national stage.'
Bargarh's Weaving Legacy and What Ram Meher's Award Signals
Bargarh district is no ordinary address in India's textile map. It is the heartland of the celebrated Sambalpuri saree — a weave with a Geographical Indication (GI) tag — where handloom clusters have sustained generations of artisan families. Ram Meher's recognition with the Sant Kabir Handloom Award, instituted by the Ministry of Textiles to honour outstanding weavers, puts a name and a face to a tradition that often goes unsung beyond the district's borders.
Prafulla Kumar Sahu from Jagatsinghpur, on the state's eastern coast, adds geographic breadth to Odisha's sweep at this year's awards — signalling that the state's handloom excellence is not confined to any single cluster.
National Handloom Day: The Swadeshi Thread That Runs Through It
National Handloom Day, observed every 7 August, was instituted in 2015 to mark the anniversary of the Swadeshi Movement launched on that date in 1905. The choice of date is deliberate — a reminder that India's handloom sector was once a tool of economic resistance, and remains a pillar of rural livelihoods and cultural identity. Presenting the awards on this day, President Murmu — herself a daughter of Odisha and India's first tribal woman to hold the office — lent the ceremony an added layer of resonance.
Odisha accounts for a significant share of India's handloom output, and periodic national recognitions like these are part of a broader effort to pull artisanal products into wider markets while keeping the craft alive at the loom.
Point of View
High-visibility signal of cultural stewardship. For a BJP-led Odisha government, celebrating weavers from districts like Bargarh also reinforces outreach to communities whose livelihoods depend on handloom policy. President Murmu's tribal identity and Odia roots make her role as presenter politically and symbolically significant, giving the state leadership an opportunity to connect cultural pride with its administrative narrative. The broader watch is whether such recognition translates into concrete cluster-development or market-access support for the awardees' communities.
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Sant Kabir Handloom Award 2025 from Odisha?
Ram Meher of Bargarh district , Odisha, received the Sant Kabir Handloom Award-2025 , presented by President Draupadi Murmu on National Handloom Day.
Who won the National Handloom Award 2025 from Odisha?
Prafulla Kumar Sahu of Jagatsinghpur district , Odisha, received the National Handloom Award-2025 from President Draupadi Murmu.
When is National Handloom Day celebrated and why?
National Handloom Day is observed every 7 August to commemorate the launch of the Swadeshi Movement on 7 August 1905 . It was instituted in 2015 to promote India's handloom sector and honour its weavers.
What is the Sant Kabir Handloom Award?
The Sant Kabir Handloom Award is a national honour instituted by India's Ministry of Textiles to recognise outstanding handloom weavers for their craftsmanship and contribution to the sector.
Why is Bargarh significant for handloom in Odisha?
Bargarh district is a major handloom cluster in Odisha, renowned for producing the Sambalpuri saree , which holds a Geographical Indication (GI) tag — making it one of the state's most celebrated traditional weaves.
