Indian Handlooms - From the Charkha to Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week

'Indian Handlooms', a term that spells exquisity, ebullience and enunciate a multifarious equip of excogitating designs, both ethnic and modernistic. Providing livelihood to 90 million people, the level of artistry and intricacy achieved by Indian handloom fabrics is unparalleled and beyond the scope of modern machinery, preserving its heritage and culture.

With a long tradition of excellence in its craftsmanship, Indian handloom is said to have dated back to the ancient ages. The earliest Indian fragment of cloth (before the Christian era) with a hansa (swan) design was excavated from a site near Cairo. Later excavations from Harappan sites revealed a scrap of coarse madder dyed cloth and a terracotta spindle whorls which evidenced their expertise over handlooms, Indian handlooms, to be more specific.

The turning point of Indian handlooms and its weavers is said to be Indias independence i.e. 15th of august, 1947. The Charkha acted as a symbol of national regeneration, as propagated by Mahatma Gandhi, and the focus on the weavers of Indian handlooms during the Indian freedom movement was largely responsible for the breakthrough. And at the dawn of independence, Indian handloom industry became the largest cottage industry of the country, a point of recognition which is still maintained.

Indian handlooms cater to the needs of a diverse cultural ethos ranging from exquisite fabrics to popular items of mass production for daily use. A village without a weaver is a myth in the Indian scenario; millions of looms across the country are busy producing the traditional beauty of a precious heritage called Indian handlooms.

Undoubtedly cotton gave the splendid weavers of Indian handloom their resplendent expression but silk and woolen cloths also originated during the pre-Vedic era, endemic to India. In the world of handlooms there are muslin of Chanderi, silk brocades of Varanasi, the ikats from Andhra and Orissa, the tie and dye from Rajasthan and Gujrat, the phulkari and khes of Punjab, jacquards from Uttar Pradesh, the phenek, tongam and bottle designs from Assam and Manipur, and lots more.

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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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