Mysuru:  The State-level Khadi Utsav- 2018, exhibition-cum-sale organised by Karnataka State Khadi and Village Industries Board  began at J. K. Grounds in city yesterday. Khadi Utsav will be held till Nov. 29 from 10 am to 6pm.

State Higher Education and District Minister G.T. Devegowda inaugurated the Utsav after garlanding the statue of Mahatma Gandhi and lighting the lamp.

Recalling Mahatma’s ideology in promoting Khadi across the country, the Minister described Khadi as one of the prominent symbols of India’s struggle for Independence and appreciated its growth as a brand due to the consistent efforts of the Board to make it popular across all the sections of the society and among people of all age groups.

He remembered the Father of the Nation’s visit to Badanavalu village in Nanjangud taluk to open Khadi industries unit.  The Minister wanted the officials to popularise Khadi clothes and products by holding expos at national and international-level besides to spread the importance of Khadi materials.

Khadi uniforms to students

When asked about distribution of Khadi uniforms to government school students of Gujarat, the Minister replied the Karnataka government will make honest efforts to sensitise school students to wear Khadi clothes.

As many as 91 stalls have been set up at the venue. Khadi and Village Industries from the districts of Mysuru, Dharwad, Ballari, Kolar, Chikkaballapura and Davanagere, Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Haryana have set up their stalls. They have displayed products like Khadi clothes, bags national flags, cotton sarees, jeans pants,  cotton kurtas, chudidars, Channapatna dolls, forest produce, herbal medicine, juice, badam powder, honey, artefacts, wooden carvings, snacks, pickles, leather, ayurvedic products and many more.