March 23: Hand woven textile has been an integral part of Bhutanese culture for centuries. It is a distinctive form of art and one of the traditional 13 arts and crafts.

Over the years, the market has been flooded by mass produced imported textile. But hand woven textile is still popular despite their hefty price. The age old tradition of weaving has been passed from generation to generation.

To promote weaving and the survival of this important tradition, the National Handloom Development Project in Khaling provides training to interested women.

Established about 20 years ago, the National Handloom Development Project has been providing training to rural women from the six eastern Dzongkhags. This year, 11 women from Sakteng in Trashigang, Trashiyangtse and Monggar are undergoing training at the centre. 17 trainees completed the yearlong training course last year.

Here trainees start by learning the basics including how to prepare the yarn. 21 years old Tshering Dema is from Sakteng village in Trashigang. She said back in her village, the weaving method is different.

Sonam Choki has been working as an instructor for the past five years. "Training weavers especially for beginners is not easy. She said the trainees tend to forget it very quickly," she said.

The project also provides short term training and yarn on credit to villagers to improve their livelihood. The villagers give the finished product to the centre and get paid for weaving.

Anybody between 15 and 22 years can attend the training. The National Handloom Development Project in Khaling was established in 1983 to provide training to rural women. It also assist local weavers to find market.