Smriti Rekha Chakma
A Chakma weaver and natural dyer from Tripura who trains rural women in loin-loom weaving, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.
Smriti Rekha Chakma is a weaver and textile designer of the Chakma community, known for traditional weaving and natural dyeing. She was named for the Padma Shri in 2024 in the field of art, from Tripura [1].
Loom and dye
She was born on 20 September 1964 and has woven on the traditional loin loom since childhood [2]. She went on to master the dyeing of cotton yarn with colours made from plants, seeds, flowers, roots, bark and leaves gathered from the forest [2]. Her work is held in temples and museums in Tripura and abroad [2].
For two decades she has demonstrated and taught her craft in many states, and has represented India at workshops in Dhaka and at a trade show in Yangon in 2014 [2]. Several documentaries, including films for Doordarshan, have recorded her work [2].
Training women
In 1999 she founded the NGO Ujeia Jadha to improve education and incomes for rural women [2]. Her training centres for weaving and natural dyeing offer free food and lodging and a stipend, and four of her trainees have won national awards [2].
She won the National Award from the Ministry of Textiles in 2000 and the Sant Kabir Award for master weavers in 2018 [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2024: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 15 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2024: citation for Smriti Rekha Chakma — Padma Awards, Government of India. Accessed 15 October 2026.
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