Review of Silk Handloom Weaving In Assam

Assam, the state having highest number of handlooms in India is unique with its silk weaving culture, as the handloom sector. Fly shuttle handlooms and 120 hook jacquards are benignly used in the Assam for silk weaving. Traditional designs and products still are the major type of fabrics woven for the domestic market. Presented here is an overview of silk weaving in Assam detailing the sericulture in the state, hand loom industry, structure of the silk handloom sector with a special emphasis on Kamrup district, the issues hindering its growth and the interventions needed for the improvement of the same.

Handloom history in India can be traced back to Indus Valley civilization. Several era of Indian history mentions the flourishing trade of textiles in domestic as well as export markets. India is currently the world's largest producer of handloom products with a total production of more than 5,000 million meters in the year 2005. Among the products produced in India, the most celebrated ones include Jamdani, Ikkat, Kota, Banarasi and Patola. It is estimated that there are about 12.5 million people dependent on hand loom weaving in India. In the entire country, there are more than 38 lakh hand looms. In northeastern states alone, there are more than 15 lakh handlooms. Detailed statewise distribution of 470 handloom clusters across India is provided by the 1995-96 survey as given in the following table 1. It is worthy to note that among the 20 major clusters of India (with handlooms more than 50,000) 14 of them are in Assam state.

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Demand For Handicraft Has Boosted The Growth Of Small Scale Industries!

When there is modern design on khadi cotton and khadi silk, people will like it more. There is a blend of traditional with the modern style. This concept is quite popular in the fashion industry as well. Indian garments are known to create such a unique blend of conventional with modern, which is manufactured no where else in the world.

Handloom, sericulture and handicrafts are popular across the globe. There are more number of customers for handloom products rather than machine made products. You can get intricate work and fine designs only in the hand made products manufactured by the small scale and cottage industries. Promoting such industries will in turn eradicate unemployment in the rural countries. It would also bring about decentralization of the industrial sectors.

It forms a perfect gift for a special occasion too. Bed spreads, beautifully embroidered table cloth, woollen items, kanjeevaram sarees, kitchen wares, bibelots, scarves, shawls, textiles, embroidered and knitted goods, zari items are made in cottage industries. Most of them prefer wearing hand woven sarees made in cottage industries due to the intricacy of work and its durability. You can get your sarees customized and get an embossed look by creating a base in gold and the pattern can be done in silk.

Minakari work, kanjeevaram work, party sarees, bandhani, patola, embroidered tinsel work, gujrathi brocade, paithani, gadwal, chanderi and maheshwari, bollywood types and baluchari from the east India, you will find a volley of saree types. Gujarat, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Western Madhya Pradesh are known for their handloom work. They are more popular for their dyeing rather than weaving techniques. You can find online gallery of Indian Paintings, consisting of magnificent Madhubani paintings, mysterious Warli paintings, Patachitras, Tribal Paintings, Thangka Paintings and minakari paintings too.

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Long Lasting Reverberation of Recession: Impact on Indian Handloom Industry

Indian Textile Industry is the principal employer among all the industries of the country, yet it has a very small share in the global market. But handloom sector, the primary branch of textiles, is considered as the major for its established capacity. This is because India is the only country which produces handloom on a marketable scale. Economic meltdown has impacted on Indian Textile Industries as a result of which many export orders are getting cancelled and labourers depending on this Industry are almost on the brink of loosing their source of revenue. Over 90 percent units in the textile and clothing are in the SME sector, which is also the most labour intensive sector in our industry as a whole.

The entire textile value chain is currently enduring a severe crisis. With such a situation continuing a bit longer, lakhs of workers who earn their livelihood through this industry will be pushed into the category of Below Poverty Line (BPL) and its high time that the impact of recession on labour and livelihoods in Handloom sector should be taken care of and necessary strategies and policies should be implemented to prevent further damage.
Current Scenario

It appears that the global meltdown being witnessed prominently in the financial markets is all set to ruin the Handloom industry, which is currently facing a tough time. On one hand the prepared saris are not getting sold off in abundance like before, on the other hand the export orders appears to face a downward trend in near future. The Silk industry, which was facing a tough time due to other factors, is likely to face a major nudge in the coming days resulting into literal starvation of many people. Be it handlooms or power looms both methods of preparing handloom garments are threatened by crisis following the present situation in which the people related to this industry are failing to get work even for a month or two. They hardly get to work for just 15 days, which affects the daily wages of a lot of people. Exporters are also facing a tough time due to the declining demand for the handloom products. The classic Banarasi sarees of India are purchased by the rich strata people of India and across the globe and later by the victims of crisis. Till few years back the silk Banarasi sarees were extremely adored handloom products in the world. The Banarasi fabric is an indispensable material, traditionally used for marriage and party purposes.......

Read More About Impact On Indian Handloom Industry due to Recession at Fibre2fashion

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