Celebrating the rich heritage of India this National Handloom Day

A blue sheen caught my eye in the dark cupboard. I peered into it, pulled out this thing and instantly fell in love. It was my mother’s Narayanpeth saree. My first encounter with Indian handloom was by chance but my ever-growing love for it is thanks to its beauty, elegance, and ties with tradition. That was the beginning of my love affair with handloom, and over the years I have bought, loved, and used weaves like Ikats, Jamdanis, and Paithanis among others. 

When you live in a country like India, there’s enough to fuel this love, so much so that we celebrate National Handloom Day to acknowledge the myriad Indian weaves and to honour the physical and emotional labour of the people behind these creations. National Handloom Day was first observed on August 7, in 2015, and was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chennai. This date was selected to commemorate the beginning of the Swadeshi Movement, which started on this day in 1905 in response to the Partition of Bengal. The Swadeshi Movement forged many of the tools used in the Indian freedom struggle in the years that followed, and shaped the idea of "Make in India", a movement that made the charkha and khadi symbols of the freedom struggle.

A walk down history shows how the Swadeshi Movement reflected in the clothes people wore. An exhibit at Mani Bhavan in Mumbai, the place where Mahatma Gandhi resided when he visited the city, shows him leading a crowd of people burning foreign-made clothes. An advertisement in The Bombay Chronicle dated July 30, 1921 calls for people to gather at the Elphinstone Mill for the boycott and burning of foreign clothes. In fact, Mumbai (then Bombay) saw two more bonfires of this kind, the idea being to strengthen self-reliance and thus achieve independence.

Handlooms continue to be important, even more today, in light of fast fashion and its onslaught on the environment. In India, we are spoilt for choice for handlooms. The warp and weft of India—her geography, her history, and her economy—can be seen in Indian weaves. To name just a few out of the many that enrich different Indian states—Mangalgiri from Andhra Pradesh, Paithanis from Maharashtra, Sambalpuri ikat from Odisha, Pochampally ikat from Telangana, Maheshwari from Madhya Pradesh, and so on. Such is the heritage value of these textiles that some of them have earned GI tags; these include Kanjivaram from Tamil Nadu, Kota Doria from Rajasthan, Muga Silk of Assam, and Bhagalpur Silk of Bihar among others.

Another key reason why celebrating National Handloom Day is important is because it feeds into the empowerment of women, with over 70 per cent weavers and other workers involved in the manufacture and sale of handloom being women. Organisations like Khamir in Gujarat are adapting traditional handloom techniques to contemporary needs—for instance, they are weaving plastic waste to create bags, pouches, and even garments. Some Bollywood celebrities are playing their part in keeping handlooms alive and popularising them. Innumerable times Vidya Balan has been the picture of chic elegance in handwoven drapes. Legendary actor Rekha’s silk sarees and jasmine gajras are her signature style statement. Actor-director Konkona Sen Sharma has also been seen looking effortlessly stunning in handloom six-yards. Contemporary designers are also striving to create stunning designs by marrying modern silhouettes with traditional handloom weaves.

Designer and artist Vrushali Chauhan captures the joy and importance of wearing handloom when she says, “Being completely rooted in India, I wear handloom with absolute pride and reverence for the land which turned simple raw material into unimaginable, beautiful garments, which make me feel immensely proud when I wear them. Creating an ensemble with products from different corners of the country also makes me feel I carry the whole of India with me.”

Amongst the several brands promoting handloom in India, here are few of the many for you to explore:

Anita Dongre

 

Archana Jaju

 

 

Payal Khandwala

 

Shanti Banaras

 

 

KH House of Khaddar

 

label.rama

 

Antar Agni

 

Rawmango

 

Akaro

 

Alamelu

 

Kshitij Jalori