BENGALURU: If you were to count the greatest of art and cultural development in the sub-continent over the last few centuries, what would you choose to list? The sublime architecture and carvings of temples all over India? Classical dance and music? Literature? Craft forms in metal, stone or terracotta? You could add so many more, but for me, it’s the textile arts of India which prove our ancient lineage and tell the glorious story of our ancient civilisation.
India was famed for its textiles and exported its products all over the world, making us one of the richest economies in ancient times. Not just weaving, but our famed dyeing and printing techniques can be traced back millennia; for example, our Ajrakh block printing were found even in ancient Mohenjo-daro. The Roman empire loved Indian silk, and we were the fulcrum of the famed silk route.
All over India, the development of sari weaving has resulted in fabulous varieties that are treasured as part of our heritage. In South India, you will find the richly embellished Kanchipuram and Dharmavaram of Tamil Nadu, the Mulkal Muru of Karnataka, the Kasavu of Kerala, and the myriad weaves of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The Paithani of Maharashtra and the historic woven treasures of Banaras are superb. The three great Ikat (a tie and dye technique) traditions of India can be seen in the Patola of Gujarat, Sambalpur of Odisha and Pochampally of Telangana. Add to this the exquisite Kota Doria of Rajasthan and the Jamdhani of West Bengal and you have an unparalleled treasury of textiles that exists nowhere else in the world.
The handloom itself is a complex structure. Legend has it that the wiring system for computers was first inspired by the warp and weft of the loom, which allowed the weaver vast permutations and combinations to create his masterpieces in infinite variations, and this is what inspired the wiring of the mainframe.
Having survived at least 3,000 years, these indigenous textiles now face worrying prospects with the shrinking of the economy and the consequent loss of markets. The shutting down of the All India Handloom Board sounded alarm bells for the already beleaguered industry, and though the board was hardly functioning well, it could have been forced to pull its socks up and become a strong force to promote our handloom textiles all over the world. The results of this closure have yet to be ascertained.While most of our heritage saris are woven on the handloom, they use machine made thread to weave as it’s stronger and evenly produced. Khadi, on the other hand, is woven with irregular hand-spun thread from a charakha. This accounts for the beautiful textures and feel of this lovely fabric.
The khadi industry now also finds that it is unable to support itself, and the closure of many units like Prasanna’s Charaka and Desi Khadi units is extremely worrying.The government prefers to concentrate on power looms and think that converting handlooms by mechanising them will solve the weavers’ problems. On the contrary, a heritage sari can never be woven on a power loom, which can only produce ordinary fabrics in large quantities for industrial and commercial usage.
What we need to realise is that if you count the agricultural industry which grows cotton, cultivates silkworms and rears sheep for wool, add them to the vast number of spinners, weavers, dyers, printers and embellishers who create these exquisite textiles, and then calculate the retail and marketing industry, the numbers are mind-boggling. Reviving this sector could create employment for millions of men and women, all working from home and earning well. We need to include the hand arts of India in the Prime Minister’s skill programmes, which make no mention of hand-skills in their efforts to skill India.
Khadi and our handloom treasures need to be redefined as belonging in the luxury segment. Calling it humble is doing it a great disservice, for these are technically the last of the world’s surviving hand-made textiles, and deserve a very high rating in the fashion lexicon. Our designers need to develop fabrics with our weavers instead of buying cheap Chinese imported fabrics, for this would make their work exclusive and non-copyable. The Rajasthan Heritage Project proved that it is possible to integrate and create partnerships between artisans and designers to develop new textiles and techniques that could create globally relevant products.
This initiative, if replicated state wise, could revive the industry and make their products an international success, and most importantly, to get every one of you to commit to buying Khadi and handloom for a small percentage of your wardrobe. Why waste money on fast-fashion when slow-fashion ticks all the boxes for sustainability, recyclability and other long-term benefits? Ultimately, it is your demand that will keep the supply chain alive and kicking. So do make the commitment!
The writer is a fashion and textile curator with over four decades of experience in the fashion & event industry