Kendrapara's Women Weavers Left Waiting As Banks Deny Loans For Woolen Carpet Craft

By Radhakanta Mohanty

Kendrapara: Imagining woolen carpets being woven in the eastern coastal belt of Odisha might be a tad difficult, but a visit to Kendrapara’s Raisar village would not only clear the picture but make one realise how the rhythmic clack of looms blends with the hopes of rural women in this part of the world, determined to build their own identity as woolen carpet makers.

The handwoven carpets here are soft, warm, and richly textured, and sell for anywhere between Rs 2,000 and Rs 10,000 at exhibitions and state handicraft fairs. But the women who create them are caught in a painful paradox - they have mastered a rare craft but do not have the scope to become independent entrepreneurs. Reason, lack of finance. Neither do they have enough money to start their venture single-handedly, nor do the banks give them loans.

Fifteen women completed their training two years ago while 15 more are currently learning. But most of them are waiting for a simple loan to turn their skills into livelihood. Even the district handicraft department admits that banks are not sanctioning loans. An online portal is now being prepared, but for many women it is a lost opportunity of months or years.

Woolen carpet weaving is one of the 61 recognized handicrafts of Kendrapara district. At Raisar village in Gardapur block, 42-year-old master trainer Anu Das from Chanchpada, Cuttack has been appointed by the Handicrafts department to train 15 women inside a rented building. A skilled artist, Anu joined the department in 1996 and trained at C-DAC, Gandamunda. She has conducted training sessions across Kendrapara and Cuttack and knows every thread of the craft.

A woman skilled artisan weaving a mat (ETV Bharat)

Anu says wool carpets are basically soft, hand-woven mats which are spread on the floor. "We use warp, weft, wool, lacchi, bamboo tools, and a loom. A 4–5 ft carpet takes a month for trainees, and its price goes up to Rs 12,000–15,000. A small mat sells for Rs 2,000-2,500," she adds.

Though she is happy to have trained 15 women and is in the process of doing the same for 15 more, things do not seem to look up in the absence of funding. "The bank does not give loans, so none of these women has been able to start work. Had they been disbursed bank loans, many would have been independently earning today,” she states.

Weaving in progress (ETV Bharat)

The demand for handwoven carpets is low in Odisha, but there is a rising demand from other states. Machine-made carpets cost just Rs 300–500, but handwoven carpets, soft, dense, and far superior, fetch a much higher price, asserts she.

The trained weavers have the potential. But lack of institutional support has demotivated them.

At the training centre, women work eight hours a day, learning each step meticulously, from sketching designs to bundling wool to operating the loom.

Wool bundles hung over the weaving instrument (ETV Bharat)

A trainee Sujata Mohanty from Kharisan Village says, “We have been learning since October 17. Every day we come at 10 am and do weaving on the loom using turban, thari, lacchi and wool. I am looking forward to earning well from the work some day soon. Maybe I would become a trainer. If the government provides loans and workspace, we can weave carpets at home and sell them.”

For these women, weaving could be a gamechanger. It could make them independent, breadwinners of their family and live with dignity. But the disappointment hangs heavily on the previous batch of trained women.

Kendrapara’s Women Weavers Left Waiting As Banks Deny Loans For Woolen Carpet Craft (ETV Bharat)

Jaliva Mohanty of Kusumpura Village is a trained artisan who could not start work due to lack of bank loan. “I completed my training in 2023. I wanted to weave carpets at home but the bank refused to give us loans," says Jaliva with a sense of disappointment. She explains how a larger carpet takes her a month or more to weave. "If we had the funds, we could have produced many carpets and earned together,” Jaliva quickly adds.

Despite the setbacks, the handicraft department is positive and trying to push the craft forward. Satyajit Behera, District Handicraft Development Officer, Kendrapara says, “Wool carpet making is one of the 61 recognised handicrafts in Odisha. In this six-month training, 15 women receive stipend, toolkit, and material."

The previous batch applied for a loan offline at Palsudha Bank, but they were not granted, he said. Now, the government is conducting an artisan survey so no handicraft artisan is left out of benefits. "We have included these 15 artisans in the survey. They will now apply online through SBI, Palsudha. The loan amount is Rs 50,000, with 20% margin money subsidized by the government. We also send artisans to fairs like Toshali Mela to sell their carpets,” he added.

The initiative seems promising but for the women who have already waited two years, time is slipping.

Dreaming to become successful some day, the women of Raisar keep weaving but are slowly losing interest. "We too have our dreams to become self reliant. We want to have our own unit. We hope the government will pitch in to give us the required financial help," the women weavers said in unison.

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