“The handloom weaving is in a dying condition. Everyone admits that whatever may be the future of the mill industry, the handlooms ought not to be allowed to perish" – Mahatma Gandhi

Indian handloom, through times immemorable, has undergone significant vicissitude in past 5,000 years. It is believed and backed by archeological evidence that Indus Valley civilisation (3,300 to 1,300 B.C.) was birth place of Handloom. At least those are the earliest visible signs of cotton weaving known to us. From it's birth to transformation to Vedic period (1,500 to 500 B.C.) the art form picked a lot of global significance. Romans had a strong trade with India and if notable historians like Cicero were to be believed then high quality cotton, indigo dyed-fabrics and other produce from India were traded for about 20 million gold coins of roman wealth every year. Given that we are talking about 1st and 2nd century AD, this is a significant amount. However, the real patrons of Handloom industry were Mughals. It was during Mughal rule, India became a global leader in textile production. Some brilliant art forms that took shape during Mughal rule were Banarasi silk, Jamawar, and Chanderi.

      The worst happened during the colonial rule when industrialisation took over and multitude of taxes were imposed on handloom weavers. This led to a significant shift from handmade clothes to a faster machine made alternative. The intrusion drove many weavers out of business to the brink of extinction. At the cusp of Non-Cooperation movement, Mahatma Gandhi gave a new hope to this centuries old art. While the real impact started showing only after 1947, but the foundation of this revolution was hope of revival was laid back in 1920. As I write this blog on 2nd Oct 2023, I feel absolutely proud of the legacy given to us by the man with the "charkha". 

      Out of ~3.5mn handloom workers in India, nearly 72% are women. That's a significant number to boast as one of the most diverse workforce, if Indian Handloom was a corporation. After Agriculture, Handloom is the second largest rural employment provider in India contributing roughly 23% of cloth production of the country. Significant contributors to this industry are North Eastern states and Andhra/Telangana employing about 40% of this workforce is in North East and 20% in later. While the number of artisans in the country are lesser today when compared to 100 years back, we are making notable progress in making their lively hoods better. And that's the reason today we would see many from Gen-Z and beyond are opting for Indian way of sustainable living. 

      Handloom is a symbol of Sustainability and self-reliance and is known for its beauty in imperfection. Now is the time to look for alternatives which will help us pass on this cultural extravaganza to generations to come. Folks who are aware of the durability of this timeless art will corroborate to the fact that some heirlooms are passed on from generation and still look unbelievably intact and beautiful. In today's time such pieces are kind of part of the quiet luxury going from one generation to other. Support from a large community of our readers will help us realise this dream of continuing this art and take it to the world.