Vijaya Pawar

Vijaya Pawar is actively involved in promoting the art and creativity of the Banjara Community by creating and selling their handicrafts and artefacts. She herself is from Banjara community and is working for the last two decades in the field of enriching and promoting the Gormati community.

Her journey began in 2000 when she herself mastered the art. Along with her husband, who is her inspiration, she started expanding the horizons by involving the women of her village and then the community into Banjara creations.

Vijaya Pawar, through her NGO, arranges many motivating programmes and exposure tours for the Banjara women and their ‘tandas’. This creates awareness in their minds about the value of their embroidery art. She conducts their trainings and workshops and has formed a Bachat Gat (Small Saving Group), as well.

Along with the traditional art forms, the Banjara women are taught how this art can beautify the contemporary objects such as cushion covers, dresses, wall panels, sarees and so on. Today more than 450 Banjara women are working and have become financially empowered. The authentic and beautiful Gor Banjara art is going national and international. The work of Vijaya Pawar is appreciated with awards and acknowledgement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.