Govardhana was born on 1 September 1949 in the small village of Putapakka in the
Nalgonda district of the south Indian state of
Telangana, part of the former
Andhra Pradesh. He heads the
Padmashali family, which keeps the
Telia Rumal tradition alive, and employs 500 weavers in the state. He runs
Murali Sari Emporium, a favoured shopping place for celebrities such as
Sonia Gandhi,
Shabana Azmi and
Sheila Dikshit. Govardhana has written several articles and publications and received many awards, including a
UNESCO Award of Excellence (2002), National Master Weaver Award (2006), Cheongju International Craft Biennale award, and the Shilpa Guru Award (2007). The
Government of India recognised his services to the art of weaving when he was included in the 2011
Republic Day honours. ==See also==