Khadi is a handspun or hand woven cotton, silk or woollen fabric. Khadi cotton is a versatile fabric and it can keep one cool in summer and warm in winter. The fabric has a coarse texture. Khadi Organic fabric using Indian cotton was spun on the charka( spinning wheel) in Indian homes in the past. Mahatma Gandhi is credited with inspiring nationalist sentiments with the revival of Khadi India or Khaddar. The first fabric was spun in the Sabarmati Ashram in 1917-18. This was promoted as part of the Swadeshi movement. Swadeshi means made in India.
Mahatma Gandhi introduced the coarse cotton yarn as a way to promote economic & social connectivity. To boycott foreign made clothing and wear Indian made clothes was a form of non violent protest by Indian nationals. It was a means to be self reliant & self sufficient. The local population was encouraged to burn their foreign attire in public & opt to wear Khadi and the movement caught on like wildfire. Today, as we move towards sustainable & eco friendly clothing, this fabric becomes all the more relevant.
Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan
The Khadi Gramodyog Bhawan shop in Connaught Place (CP), Khadi India, stocks several products such as clothing, personal care products & groceries. It is a government owned shop.
In the ground floor, you will find Khadi fabrics in cotton that can be used for making dresses. Some are plain fabrics & some are printed. They cost about Rs. 750 to Rs 850/mtr. Further, they also stock tussar and silk fabrics from Telangana & Orissa States. The pure silk fabric is in the range of Rs 1500-Rs2000/meter.
As you walk up to the first floor, there is a section dedicated to sarees. There are sarees from Gujarat-Patola sarees, sarees from Paithani, Kanjivaram & Banaras are all in stock. The sarees are in the Rs10000to Rs17000 price range. Further, they also stock Bengal cotton sarees in Rs2500/saree price range.
Readymade kurtas in cotton and silk are also available on the 2nd floor. The prices are very reasonable at Rs850/kurta or kurti.
In addition, they also stock shirts and Nehru Jackets for men in cotton. There is a limited range of dresses such as shirts & frocks for both boys & girls in cotton.
Shawls
Pure woollen shawls are available in Rs2500/shawl price range. In addition, the expensive ones with embroidery are available at Rs 5000/shawl. They also stock shawls & stoles made of wool mixed with synthetic materials.
Khadi Organic @ Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan
To buy organic products, visit Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan in Connaught Place in New Delhi. It is a fairly huge shop to promote Khadi India products.
They stock, clothing fabric such as khadi cotton, tussar & silk. Further, they also stock personal prodcuts made from Basil, Neem, Sandalwood & Neem. All the products are eco friendly & plant based. In addition, the basement floor has an incredible variety of personal care products such as skin care & hair care such as soaps, body washes, shampoos & conditioners. They are purely herbal & organic products. Hence no chemical products are in stock. Essential oils from sandalwood, rose and neem are also available.
Further, they also stock edible items such as pure honey ,spices, condiments & grocery. This shop promotes all Khadi India items and Ayurvedic products .
This is a big shop with a lot of space and right in the center of CP
Khadi Gramodyog Bhawan has several branches in Delhi.
Also check out another interesting Khadi Dress Shop. They stock modern dresses in Khadi : Sutasta
