Sircilla weaver lauded by PM Narendra Modi seeks govt help

HYDERABAD: Veldi Hari Prasad, who earned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s praise during his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, is a master craftsman weaving magic on his handloom in Sircilla’s Nehru Nagar. The weaver whose work is unique in many ways, however, wants government support to sustain his craft and pass on his skills to youngsters to take up the artistry.
The weaver, who is in his mid-30s, sent a self-woven handloom logo of the G-20 Summit to Modi last year and there was no looking back ever since. Modi said Prasad’s mastery of his skills was laudable and mentioned his name for the ‘amazing gift’ he received from the weaver in the programme.
Prasad even got what he calls a ‘divine opportunity’ when the management of the Sree Sita Ramchandraswamy temple in Bhadrachalam purchased a hand-woven saree for goddess Sita. During the recent celestial wedding, the saree was draped on the deity.
On the occasion of the 50th birthday of Sachin Tendulkar on April 24, he wove an image of Sachin couple with threads and presented it to Sachin’s friend and former Indian cricketer V Chamundeshwarnath.
“I take more than 20 days to one month to weave the sarees. We use gold and silver lining giving it a rich look and symbols of gods are printed as per the clients’ choices,” Prasad told TOI. The cost of sarees ranges from 30,000 to 6,00,000.
Prasad even came up with a silk fabric sporting ‘Jana Gana Mana’ in Telugu during last year’s Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. Though he has earned a lot of appreciation, he continues to struggle for income. “Some NRIs have approached me, even from New Zealand, but I am looking for support.”
“Currently, I am using a rented premises for my workshop. I live in a rented house. If the government supports me in the form of allotting a piece of land, I can teach future generations about this dying art. Many youngsters are shifting to other professions due to lack of support,” he rued. But, the Sircilla weaver continues to pride on the thin silk saree he wove a few years ago which fits into a matchbox.
Interestingly, Modi mentioned or spoke to people from Telangana 11 times during his Mann Ki Baat programme. The first one to receive praise was farmer Chintala Venkat Reddy who has innovated a rice and wheat variety that is infused with vitamin D.