BENGALURU: It’s a sorry state of affairs that the weaving community in Karnataka is entangled in. With excess stock on one hand and no buyers on the other, the community is struggling to keep their generations-old craft alive. Even as the city is crawling back to normalcy, with exhibitions being held, handloom weavers are hesitant to come forward to showcase their creations. Take, for instance, Bengaluru Dastkar Bazaar, which is taking place at the Jayamahal Palace Hotel in the first week of September. According to a member of a weavers’ association, not many weavers from the state have confirmed their participation, because the expenses involved are not inviting. “While other local artisans are keen to showcase their handicrafts, the weaving community is unwilling to come forward,” the source tells us on condition of anonymity.
As a plea to help them survive these tough times, the weavers of Guledagudda, Bagalkot district, created a website to share their story. Known for making khana woven products, the weavers from the district have been in severe distress since the pandemic, and now find themselves unable to produce more without clearing the existing stock.
Ramesh Ayodi, the convener of Khanav Weaves, tells CE that they wrote a plea to help the community. “We were severely hit since the pandemic and many of the weavers could not afford basic essentials.
After we made the website and received help, 25 families were able to sell some of their creations, 105 families received food kits and ` 9,50,000 worth of khana blouse pieces and sarees were sold within two months this year,” he says. While the help may be a drop in the ocean, Ayodi is appreciative of the effort. “We’re working with some more weavers now but the sales aren’t much. We’re dreading a situation where old stock piles up again,” he adds.
Independent weaver V Kumar from Chamarajnagar echoes the same thoughts. “There used to be a time when people would come to our district to pick up items, but that pretty much stopped since the pandemic,” says Kumar, who has been a weaver for over three decades now. The consequence of minimal sales has meant that his family, including his son studying in Class 3, is in deep financial crisis. “We have one phone at home. With schools being conducted online and less sales taking place, it’s honestly a struggle,” he says, adding that he hopes his son bags a well-paying job one day, and will not have to endure the struggle that he has.
Recently, well-known designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee found himself in the middle of a controversy after several people took umbrage at him digitising prints and excluding local artisans for his new collection in collaboration with fast-fashion brand H&M. NGO Punarjeevana works closely with the weavers in Karnataka to revive handloom sarees. But Dr Hemalatha Jain of Punarjeevna, points out that some districts have opted for powerlooms now.
“While we’re trying to revive and educate people about the importance of handlooms, some weavers feel that powerlooms work out cheaper,” she says, adding that in order to up the confidence level of weavers, they conducted various workshops on hand spinning, upcycling sarees, embroidery and shuttle loom. “We had an exhibition in Bengaluru in March that helped with some sales. But it goes without saying that it’s an industry that might not have any future as the younger generation is looking at greener pastures. We’re doing our best to keep the rich craft alive, but it’s not wrong to say that it’s fading into oblivion,” says Jain.
Fact file
If you want to make a purchase from the local weaving community, contact:
Ramesh, Guledagudda, weaver, Bagalkot - 8867227542
Kumar, independent weaver, Chamarajnagar - 9945185099
Dr Hemlatha Jain, Punarjeevana - 9972199981