Media Release
Udupi, May 4: ‘Neyge’, a two-day exhibition, special talks, documentary screenings, and workshops on Udupi sarees, will be held on May 5 and 6 under the auspices of Gandhian Centre for Philosophical Arts and Sciences, MAHE, Manipal.
This project is a part of the Gandhi-King Exchange initiative launched by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The exhibition of Udupi sarees aims to bring attention to the significance of sustainable fashion and conversations about conscious consumption, said the organizers of ‘Neyge'.
The two-day exhibition will include special talks on sustainable living with Udupi sarees by different scholars, academicians, and weavers, documentary screenings, workshops, etc. This is an attempt to bring Udupi sarees which are close to the philosophy of nature, to the younger generation.
The programme will be inaugurated by Indira Ballal, Philanthropist, at 10 am at Gandhian Centre, MAHE, on May 5. Mamata Rai, president Kadike Trust, will be the guest of honour, and Dr HS Ballal, pro-chancellor MAHE, will be presiding over the inauguration ceremony. This will be followed by documentary screenings. The event will include an exhibition of Udupi sarees, a photo exhibition, a history corner, a Yakshagana Corner, and a sale of Udupi sarees by the weavers.
On May 6, Dr Veena Rao, head, department of design, MAHE, will conduct a workshop on sustainable clothing out of Banana fibre at 3.30 pm, and it will be followed by the valedictory programme at 5 pm. Dr Sulatha Bandhari, president of Manipal Mahila Samaj, will be the chief guest of the event.
Udupi sarees which are a part of this region, are a type of handwoven sarees made of single-ply cotton yarns and natural dyes and cause little to no ecological damage. They are extremely light and comfortable to wear. The socio-technology of production of Udupi Sarees provides a promising model of financial, social, and environmental sustainability.
Gandhi-King Fellowship being awarded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, USA. The ultimate goal of the Gandhi-King Fellowship is to inspire and develop a network of aspiring young civic leaders from India and the USA to work together to advance civil rights, social justice, and inclusion locally, nationally, and internationally by exploring the history and legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Martin Luther King, Jr Lavanya N K, who is an alumna of GCPAS, MAHE and Roydon, a commerce graduate from Mumbai are the two recipients of Gandhi-King Fellowship who participated in the training program held at University of Alabama in 2022.