Crafts Council of India (CCI) has selected Udupi saree artisan Vyasaraya Shettigar for the national-level ‘Shanta Prasad Award for Excellence in Weaving’ for the year 2020.
The award ceremony which was supposed to be held on April 18 has been postponed.
Vyasaraya Shettigar (79) is one among only nine Udupi Saree weavers who can weave fine 80 count saree with Butta. He started weaving at the age of 15.
Being a talented weaver, he also taught many weavers to fine tune their skill of weaving. He is affectionately called ‘master’ by those in the weaving community.
Shetigar presently weaves for Padupanambur Weavers Co Operative Society. His skills in weaving have brought him many accolades like state awards for weavers in the year 2006-07 and 2015-16. He was also awarded ‘Kayaka Prashasti’ by Charaka Women's Co Operative, Heggodu in 2019, said a release from Karkala-based Kadike Trust that has been striving to pull the weaving industry from the brink.
Weavers who had left the occupation are being brought back with the promise of higher pay and improving marketing strategy to increase the demand for sarees by the trust.