This International Yoga Day brought special happiness to lakhs of Khadi artisans in rural areas of India. On International Yoga Day celebrated on 21st June, Khadi and Village Industries Commission sold 1,09,022 Yoga mats and 63,700 Yoga dresses worth Rs.8,67,87,380 to various government departments through 55 Khadi institutions across the country.

Releasing the figures, KVIC Chairman Manoj Kumar said that this time there has been a record-breaking sale of special Yoga clothes and mats made by Khadi artisans.

Read in Hindi: अंतर्राष्ट्रीय योग दिवस पर खादी परिधानों की हुई बंपर बिक्री

Kumar further said that Yoga dresses and mats made of Khadi are very advantageous for health as well as environmental protection, as they are made without chemicals and with the use of minimum water.

“The sale of Khadi Yoga clothes and mats on the special occasion of International Yoga Day is a symbol of the fact that the Indian Government is determined to conserve its heritage Khadi as well as to protect the environment. This also gives new strength to the Vocal for Local and Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan,” he adds.  

According to the released data, this time KVIC prepared special Khadi Yoga Kurtas, in T-shirt style, on demand by the Ministry of AYUSH. These were specially designed keeping the youth in mind. On the occasion of Yoga Day, KVIC's Khadi Bhawan located at Connaught Place in Delhi supplied 50,000 Yoga mats and 50,000 Yoga dresses to the Ministry of AYUSH alone. This also included 300 premium-quality Yoga mats. Along with this, as per the demand of the Ministry, 25,000 Khadi Yoga mats and clothes were supplied in Srinagar. In Srinagar, thousands of people participated in yoga practice wearing Khadi clothes under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

KVIC also supplied Yoga clothes and mats made of Khadi for practice mainly to Morarji Desai National Yoga Institute, National Ayurveda Institute Jaipur and Panchkula, Defence Research and Development Organization, ONGC and NALCO. In the total supply of Rs.8,67,87,380, the sale of Khadi Yoga clothes was Rs.3,86,65,900 and the sale of mats was Rs.4,81,21,480.

As per the demand, KVIC had already informed Khadi institutions across the country, which included 55 institutions in Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Delhi, for supply. Through this, spinners, weavers and Khadi workers working in Khadi institutions got additional wages as well as additional employment opportunities.