handloom
Tangkhul Nagas stare at threadbare future of backstrap weaving
Backstrap weaving is woven into the cultural fabric of the indigenous Tangkhul Naga community. With changing preferences and mechanical looms producing cheaper garments, the art of backstrap weaving appears to be on the threshold of oblivion.
A heartful of handloom in Maheshwar
From a sleepy hamlet with struggling weavers to a bustling town known for sarees, it’s taken many years for Maheshwar to appear on India’s handloom map. Sally Holkar, known for reviving the sector, tells us about her journey.
‘Kantha Didi’ takes Bengal’s age-old art to global recognition
Meet ‘Kantha Didi’ Tajkira Begum, a self-professed go-getter who has sewed together a narrative of personal resilience, professional excellence and social inclusion using Bengal’s revered kantha stitch.
West Bengal’s famous handloom industry in peril
The rich heritage of handloom of West Bengal is dying a rapid death due to factors linked to the lockdown, migration, competition from powerlooms and Government negligence.
An elephant on the loom in river island Majuli
Battered by crop depredation and low farm yield, Majuli’s weavers grasp the loom of opportunity, creating not just garments but a narrative woven with threads of hope and transformation.
Caught by cotton – the thread that binds Team VS
The love may be old, but the charm lives on. Village Square is a team of handloom lovers and we grabbed the occasion of World Cotton Day to pen our odes to the fabric that’s born of the soil.
Mayurbhanj revives traditional looms
Mayurbhanj’s handloom legacy is experiencing a remarkable resurgence, stitching together threads of tradition and innovation, painting a brighter canvas for its future, one vibrant sari at a time.
Odisha’s vanishing tasar silkworm needs safety cocoon
Multi-pronged efforts have been launched to protect Similipal’s Modal ecorace silkworms, but more needs to be done to ensure that our future generations can continue to marvel at the delicate tasar silk produced by them.
Weaving a tapestry on traditional looms
Kiran R Singh's brand, Balwaar, revives the forgotten craft of weaving khes and durries on traditional handlooms in Punjab. This not only preserves the tradition but also uplifts the local community.
Weavers keep Bastar’s pata saree tradition alive
Artisans are hopeful traditional handloom weaving will get a much-needed boost in Bastar, Chhattisgarh - home of the pata saree - as the government plans to start a weaving hub.
Designers ensure physical and financial health of handloom weavers
Fashion designers working with handloom artisans ensure that their financial needs are met despite lack of work during lockdown, and keep their morale high by being in touch
बुनना भविष्य को, मीटर दर मीटर !
असम के बोडोलैंड के गाँवों में, जहाँ हर बोडो घर में एक करघा है, श्यामा ब्रह्मा बुनाई से ठीक-ठाक आय अर्जित करती हैं, और इस लुप्त होते इस पारंपरिक कौशल को अपनी बेटियों को सौंपने की कोशिश कर रही हैं
Are handlooms in rural India only capable of weaving poverty?
We need to reflect why once handlooms wove joy, culture and incomes but today weave only poverty, unable to sustain livelihoods of people in our villages, except for a few outliers
Kuthampully weavers facing decline in Kerala
For centuries, they have created Kerala's classic off-white and gold sarees and veshtis. Now, low incomes, an ageing workforce, shifting demand and power looms are forcing changes in this traditional occupation
Traditional handloom weaves a comeback in Kachchh
The remarkable revival of traditional Kachchhi handloom by the vankar community could serve as a shining example of how India could tackle its severe livelihood, ecological and cultural crises
Weaving a future, meter by meter
In the villages of Bodoland in Assam, where every Bodo home has a loom, Sama Brahma earns a modest income from weaving, and is trying to pass on this waning traditional skill to her daughters
Mising weavers intertwine technology with traditional skills
Living in flood-prone areas of Assam with no alternate sustenance options, women of Mising tribal community have upgraded their traditional handloom weaving skills, and have adapted to market needs for a lucrative livelihood