PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE
Newly elected Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Vijay Chinthakayala Ayyannapatrudu took oath as a Member of the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, along with fellow TDP MPs Sana Satish Babu and Bhashyam Rama Krishna, and Jana Sena Party MP Lingamaneni Ramesh, marking the NDA’s successful entry of four members to the Upper House from Andhra Pradesh.
On the occasion, Vijay Chinthakayala wore a traditional Mangalagiri cotton shawl, drawing attention to Andhra Pradesh’s centuries-old handloom heritage.
The shawl originated from Mangalagiri, the historic temple town in Guntur district and the Assembly constituency represented by Andhra Pradesh Minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Human Resources Development Nara Lokesh. Mangalagiri cotton has a weaving tradition spanning more than 500 years.
Historical records indicate that during the Qutb Shahi period in 1593, heavy taxation on handloom products forced many weavers to leave the region, severely affecting the industry. Despite these challenges, the craft survived and continued through generations. Today, Mangalagiri cotton holds Geographical Indication (GI) status for its distinctive weave and craftsmanship.
However, the handloom sector has witnessed a steady decline over the years. While nearly 20,000 weavers were engaged in the craft in the early 1990s, only about 6,000 active handloom weavers remain today, affected by rising production costs, shrinking margins and competition from machine-made fabrics.
The symbolic gesture also reflected the State government’s stated focus on promoting the handloom sector. Nara Lokesh has previously described weavers as skilled craftsmen and announced a ₹250-crore market intervention fund in 2019 to support the international branding of Mangalagiri cotton. He had also assured that the concerns of the weaving community would be addressed.
Vijay Chinthakayala’s choice of attire during the oath ceremony was seen as a tribute to Mangalagiri’s weaving tradition and the thousands of families whose livelihoods continue to depend on the historic craft.
