The Rafoogar or darner, darning the jute cross stitch piece Rafoogars – the humble darners. Once a part of every market, their numbers are dwindling. They would sit and ply their trade, darning and mending a tear here or even garments which were literally in tatters. They would do it slowly, steadily and voila, when returned one would barely see the tear. Better still one would have to look for the tear. This was usually done to repair winter garments especially expensive shawls, sweaters, jackets. What stands out is the skill level of the rafoogars who simply pick up nuances of a new fabric and can work on it and repair it. It looks almost new. . So from silk, chiffon, georgettes, Dakha Muslin, fine cotton to even newer fabrics like lycra, tencel and more. There are rafoogars who have picked up their skill from nearly everywhere. Each locality has its own special rafoogars. The bylanes of Chandni Chowk have some very well known and famous ones. Rafoogars can be called a jack of...
The Handloom Mark again was introduced by the Government of India to promote handwoven from India. The mark clearly reiterates that the product is Handwoven in India. The objective was to provide assurance that the product is genuinely handwoven and there is nothing fake about it. It helps market the product in India and abroad. It also ensures higher price realization. There are two marks one used in the domestic market and the other for international market. The quality assurance is maintained by periodic audits, random verification, self certification and strict penalties if the norms are not adhered to or are misused. The mark has been pretty successful in the Domestic and International markets. (For more information – www.hlm.gov.in)