National, 21 May 2026: Indian textile and fashion designer Manish Tripathi has conceptualised Shubhvastram, a unique cultural and educational initiative that will involve students from the Sri Sri Institute of Fashion Studies in designing and developing a seasonal range of vastras for Shri Ramlala in Ayodhya and other temple vigrahas across India. Tripathi, who is widely recognised for designing the garments of Shri Ram Lalla at the Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, will mentor and guide the project closely.
Rooted in India’s rich handloom and craft traditions, Shubhvastram aims to bring together textile heritage, spiritual aesthetics, and design education through a cluster-based immersion model. The initiative has been envisioned not just as a design project, but as a meaningful engagement with India’s living craft traditions and temple culture.
As part of the project, students will research and work with some of India’s most iconic textile traditions, including Banarasi Brocade, Kanchipuram Silk, Paithani, Muga Silk, Patan Patola, Kota Doria, Chanderi, and Baluchari, among others. Each student group will be assigned a textile cluster to study and develop temple-appropriate vastras aligned with rituals, seasonal requirements, and traditional aesthetics associated with deity worship.
The project will unfold in three phases – beginning with textile and iconography research, followed by field immersion and artisan collaboration, and culminating in range planning and prototype development. Students, along with faculty members, will travel to craft clusters, interact directly with artisans, study weaving and embroidery traditions, and co-create fabrics suitable for temple use.
Speaking about the initiative, Manish Tripathi said, “India’s temple textiles are not just garments; they carry devotion, symbolism, craftsmanship, and centuries of cultural memory. Through this project, students will not only learn design, but also understand the responsibility of preserving and presenting our traditions with sensitivity and authenticity.”
The outcome will include curated range plans featuring nitya and utsav vastras for Shri Ramlala, technical documentation, prototype garment sets, and storytelling around the spiritual and cultural significance of each craft tradition involved. The completed project will be presented at the Sri Sri Institute of Fashion Studies and proposed for submission to the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
Apart from offering students a rare live project connected to one of the country’s most revered spiritual spaces, Shubhvastram also aims to encourage sustainable design practices, strengthen artisan collaborations, and create deeper awareness around India’s textile heritage among younger creative communities.
