Origin of the word “Khadi”

Although we heard the name “Khadi” many of us do not know where and how this name originated. Since 1921, during the time of the Swadeshi Movement, local leaders, businessmen and many renowned personalities urged common people to purchase clothes made by local weavers and cloth manufacturers and everyone responded to that call. At that time, khadi making started at the Cumilla Monastery established by Mahatma Gandhi. Back then an eight yard long dhoti was sold for only five cents. The writings of the late Parimal Dutt, a renowned Tagore song analyst and volunteer worker of the monastery, revealed that the clothe had huge demands which became very difficult for the monastery to fulfill. Holes had been dug under foot paddles of the weaving machine to speed up the production. Clothes produced from this hole was called “Khadi.” This is the reason behind the origin of the name Khadi. From there the weaving industry of Cumilla gradually came to be known as Khadi or Khaddar.