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History, craft and cottage industries come
together at this important junction between
the Punjab and the Gangetic Plains.
About 100 km from Delhi, in the state of
Haryana, is the sprawling industrial city
of Panipat, a luminary of the handloom industry
in India. Long before one enters the main
city, billboards proclaim the presence of
the weaving units. Further, up, the main
road is flanked by a string of showrooms
with local handloom products on display.
Panipat is famous for 'panja' durrie a
kind of a floor covering, which is in great
demand in India and abroad. Originally,
it was a traditional item made by village
women meant to be a part of daughter's dowry.
But slowly the product came to be recognized
beyond Panipat and the growing demand for
durries resulted in a burgeoning number
of private and state owned weaving units
within the city.
The panja durrie is only one of the floor
coverings made in Panipat. There are several
other kinds of floor covering like large
sized handloom durries, chindi or fabric
and leather scrap durries, rugs, druggets
and carpets. Also made and marketed locally
are blankets, khes (the sturdy item used
for bed lines) and a vast variety of furnishing
fabrics.
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