The Great Indian Story Of Handloom

Varalakshmi 

Handloom weaving is an age-old tradition in India. Our culture has been practicing it for ages, even before the introduction of textile mills. The weaver community produced fabrics using natural dyes from plants, flowers, or fruits. During the Industrial Revolution, machine- made textiles from England replaced handloom fabric for making clothes.

Handlooms regained popularity during the post-independence era when Mahatma Gandhi encouraged people to use handlooms instead of machine-made fabrics for their clothing needs because they were cheaper than machine-made textiles imported from abroad. This blog will discuss a brief history of handloom fabric, the different types, and their uses.

Handloom is a traditional craft which is practiced by millions of people around the world. It’s a skill passed down from generation to generation, with each person adding their personal touch to work. Handloom is an art that uses natural dyes and depends on them for their beauty and vibrancy.

Handloom weaving first originated in ancient India. It was used as a form of resistance against foreign invaders and British colonists who sought to suppress native culture by banning everything from hand-spun cotton fabrics to silk saris woven by Indians.

The Indian style of weaving has been heavily influenced by local culture and tradition

Ikat, kutch, Banded, pochampally, jamdani

Love weaves through every threads, in the fabric of her saree.

Durability

One of the many benefits of handloom sarees is that they are durable. Whether you choose a designer piece or a simple regular-wear saree, a handloom product is more durable and long-lasting than its power loom counterpart.

 Attention to Detail

Handloom sarees, like the Jamdani silk saree and cotton silk saree, are designed with care. Every piece takes months to be woven and stitched correctly, but you will love the intricate details once it’s designed.

Anyone can spot the difference between a machine-made and a handwoven saree. Weavers pour their hard work, experience, and passion into weaving every piece, making it more beautiful than regular sarees.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Wheeling between Warps and Wefts

Image
Vishrutha R.V. A tawny, tiny town of Doddaballapura with her primary occupation as weaving has heaved some of her best-selling sarees. Known popularly as the “Manchester of Indian Textile,” Doddaballapura gets her share of popularity from saree connoisseurs. Capitalism and the availability of cheap sarees, has made it way for the pure silk saree art to submerge in deep waters. The place where handlooms once flourished, now has no signs of it. The Covid pandemic hit the weavers like a hurricane, crashing their markets down. They earned as low as Rs. 300 a day. Doddaballapura weaves is long heard and spoken about. Weavers’ street in the town is filled with the din of looms. Power looms have long replaced handlooms. Making an effort to revive the lost art of handlooms, we have launched an initiative to foster them. Doddaballapura has earned its name in specially in silk saree weaving. Pure silks, art silks are woven with motifs to embellish the saree. Rich borders and heavy pallu are in...
Read more

The Timeless Art of Saree Weaving: A Tapestry of Tradition and Craftsmanship

Image
  Vinod Raj The process of saree weaving is a labor of love, requiring patience, precision, and an intimate understanding of the craft. It begins with the selection of yarn, usually silk, cotton, or a blend of both, sourced from local markets or crafted in-house by skilled artisans. The yarn is then dyed using natural or synthetic colors, each hue carefully chosen to evoke a specific mood or theme. Next comes the process of setting up the loom, a complex apparatus that forms the backbone of the weaving process. The warp yarns are meticulously arranged on the loom, creating the foundation upon which the intricate patterns will be woven. This is followed by the insertion of the weft yarns, which are interlaced with the warp threads to form the fabric. What sets saree weaving apart is the attention to detail paid to every aspect of the process. From the selection of yarn to the weaving of intricate motifs, artisans pour their heart and soul into every saree they create. Each piece is ...
Read more