Handlooms have always been an integral part of India’s rich textile heritage, admired for their timeless appeal, intricate craftsmanship and the regal charm they bring to any ensemble. For many, discovering the right handloom piece is about finding something that reflects both personal style and an appreciation for tradition. Bringing together this love for handlooms and handcrafted products, Pink Gulabb, a curated handloom and craft exhibition, made its Hyderabad debut at CCT Spaces, Banjara Hills. Inaugurated by Amala Akkineni, the two-day exhibition brought together around 20 carefully selected brands, weavers, designers and artisans from across the country.
For curator Mohua Chatterjee, Pink Gulabb was born out of a lifelong association with textiles and crafts. A teacher for 26 years, she taught English to higher secondary students before deciding to pursue her passion for handlooms full-time. “I have always been very attracted to handlooms and handcrafted things from a very young age, seeing my mother,” she says.
Memories of ‘crisp cotton sarees with block prints, silks and tussars worn during Puja, the red-border saree and all these traditional textiles’ remained etched in her mind, eventually inspiring her to create a platform that brings together handloom and handicraft brands from across India.
Mohua gave up her teaching job in 2025, realising that building Pink Gulabb would require her complete attention. “I understood that it would be very difficult to do something full-fledged or give that much hard work that it actually requires,” she says. In its first year, the initiative completed nine editions across different cities. While Kolkata remains its primary base, Pink Gulabb has also travelled to Mumbai, Delhi, Gurgaon and Bengaluru, with Hyderabad becoming its latest destination.
The exhibition brings together three distinct segments. The first includes brands that work exclusively with handlooms, including those reviving traditional weaves such as Kanjeevaram, Gadwal and Assam silks. The second features weavers who participate directly and offer their creations at subsidised rates, while the third brings together accessories, home décor, jewellery and other handcrafted products by artisans, designers and artists. “Pink Gulabb is trying to bring in artists from different parts of India together,” she explains. For its Hyderabad debut, the choice of venue was equally significant. CCT Spaces, she feels, naturally complemented Pink Gulabb’s ethos. “CCT is a place that beautifully aligns with Pink Gulabb. That is why, for me, if I was coming to Hyderabad, it should always be Crafts Council,” she says. After submitting her proposal and details about the participating brands and products, the concept received a positive response, paving the way for the first Hyderabad edition. With the city responding to the exhibition, Mohua hopes it will not be a one-time visit.
The Hyderabad edition featured around 20 exhibits, each selected from different parts of the country. For Mohua, however, curation is not simply about bringing together attractive products. “First and foremost, it has to be handloom or it has to be designed by the designer themselves,” she says. Her strong opposition to fast fashion is rooted in the need to protect traditional crafts. “I am absolutely against fast fashion. I feel that is somewhere taking away what we have. If we do not preserve handloom or the legacy that we have as far as our handloom heritage and handcrafted heritage are concerned, then it is going to get lost in the hands of commercialisation,” Mohua adds. She also believes that the higher price of handloom and handcrafted products reflects the time, skill and labour that go into creating them. This difference, she believes, is part of what makes these products valuable. For Mohua, supporting handloom is therefore not simply about buying a beautiful saree or handcrafted object, but about recognising the people, processes and traditions behind it and ensuring that they continue to have a place in contemporary India.