On a historic day for Andhra Pradesh in the nation’s capital, newly elected Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Vijay Chinthakayala Ayyannapatrudu took oath as a Member of the Rajya Sabha on June 25. He was joined by fellow TDP MPs Sana Satish Babu and Bhashyam Rama Krishna, alongside Jana Sena Party’s Lingamaneni Ramesh, marking a significant sweep for NDA in Rajya Sabha.
Elected under the leadership of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and TDP Minister Nara Lokesh, MP Vijay marked the occasion by wearing a traditional Mangalagiri cotton shawl, bringing national attention to one of Andhra Pradesh’s most cherished handloom traditions.
The shawl carries a significance far beyond ceremonial attire. Every thread of that shawl traces its origins to Mangalagiri, the historic temple town in Guntur district and the Assembly constituency represented by Andhra Pradesh IT, Electronics and Human Resources Minister Nara Lokesh. Mangalagiri cotton carries over 500 years of recorded history.
During the Qutub Shahi period in 1593, heavy taxes on handloom products forced many weavers to leave the region, dealing a severe blow to the industry. Yet the craft endured. It adapted, recovered and continued to be passed down through generations. Today, Mangalagiri cotton enjoys Geographical Indication (GI) status, recognised for its distinctive weave and craftsmanship. Yet behind this celebrated legacy lies a painful reality.
In the early 1990s, Mangalagiri was home to nearly 20,000 weavers. Today, only about 6,000 active handloom weavers remain. Rising costs, shrinking margins and competition from machine-made imitations have steadily reduced the community that once made Mangalagiri one of India’s most vibrant weaving centres.
That is why Vijay Chinthakayala Ayyannapatrudu’s choice resonated far beyond symbolism. The gesture reflects the vision of TDP Minister Nara Lokesh who has been unambiguous about his commitment to this community. “Weavers are not workers. They are craftsmen. It is a God-given skill,” Nara Lokesh once remarked, announcing a Rs. 250 crore market intervention fund for international branding of Mangalagiri cotton back in 2019. “It will be my responsibility to attend the grievances of each and every weaver,” he pledged.
When Vijay Chinthakayala Ayyannapatrudu took oath in the Rajya Sabha, the shawl on his shoulders carried the hopes of thousands of weaving families, the pride of a centuries-old tradition and the promise that the voice of Mangalagiri’s artisans would be heard in the highest forums of the nation.
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