Hundreds Of Weavers Rally To Protect 250-Year-Old Maheshwari Saree Tradition In MP’s Maheshwar

Maheshwar, a town in Madhya Pradesh, witnessed a rally on Wednesday by hundreds of weavers. Their main grievance was against the unauthorized production and sale of Maheshwari sarees outside the region. These weavers argued that such imitation was jeopardizing the legacy of Maheshwar's traditional craft, which has been an integral part of the town for over 250 years.

The event was organized by the Samast Bunakar Evam Hathkargha Karigar Sangh and commenced from Kalipura Chauraha Complex. Demonstrators carried banners and placards, marching through the town and vocally demanding an immediate halt to the sale of sarees bearing the Maheshwari name but manufactured elsewhere. The weavers alleged that certain traders from other states acquire knowledge of the traditional weaving techniques in Maheshwar and subsequently produce inferior sarees in their respective states.

They then sell these substandard products under the Maheshwari label, causing harm to both the reputation of the original saree and the livelihoods of local weavers. Representatives of the weavers presented a memorandum at the Maheshwar police station, the district handloom office, and the tehsil office, urging action against violators of the Geographical Indication (GI) regulations.

Rajkumar Saraf, Deputy Director of Handloom, stated that legal action is available under GI provisions to combat unauthorized production and promotion of Maheshwari sarees outside the designated area.