Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today inaugurate the first National Handloom Day at a function in Chennai.
Prime Minister Modi will confer the Sant Kabir awards and National awards for the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 to distinguished handloom personalities.
The program is being held in the prestigious Centenary hall of Madras University.
The Prime Minister will also launch 'India Handloom' Brand. An exhibition showcasing master creations of the awardees is also being inaugurated on the occasion in the adjacent senate building of Madras University.
The Handloom Day will be celebrated all over the country in cooperation with state governments.
The date August 7 has been chosen due to its special significance in India's history; it was on this day that the Swadeshi Movement was launched in 1905.