India has the richest tradition of living skills of handmade textiles in the world. Some of the rich designs and resplendent traditional sarees may have lost their trace, but has found a suitable place in the shelves of museums, today. If anyone takes a closer look at the hand loom tradition, then he or she will find a weaver or a dyer, sitting on the rooftops or courtyards of their houses in the rural parts of India, well aware of the ancient techniques of his master, spinning or weaving yarns, waiting to bring out the exquisite fabrics of various designs.

Several “Karkahanas” situated in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Jammu & Kashmir, where artisans are actively engaged in creating high quality textiles preferably for commercial purposes. Creative passion infused with technological innovations has made silk and cotton threads interwoven in subtle and brilliant shades. This is also done to increase its acceptability throughout the Indian mass and markets.

History however has it that, Handloom weaving or weaving of cotton which had flourished once upon a time, began to decline sharply by the end of the 18th century due to the lack of work and support. Industrial Revolution’s influence and its gift of Manchester inspired the British to dislike saree as a trade commodity. They set up textile mills in India to avoid the over – heads costs. But, they produced cheap quality cotton dhotis and sarees for the Indian masses, which undoubtedly made a severe dent in the market for handmade textiles. It was then that Mahatma Gandhi’s swadeshi movement inspired Indians hand woven sarees & dhotis in India.

Post – Independent India witnessed a severe deterioration of handloom weaver .The plight of handloom weavers had gone to such an extent that the Indian Government had to ban power looms from producing handloom textiles. Sarees was one such textile.
Today, the Indian government has taken active initiatives in a bid to save traditional sarees from extinction, especially from Bengal. Bengal, which was once famous for Dhonekahli, Shantipuri, Tangail fabrics, were spun and woven by hand, are now preparing themselves to be back on the shop shelves. Earlier in the 19th century though it was destroyed by the East India Company, is about to get a fresh life. Thanks to the sudden discovery of them in the Indian Museum!

Traditional Indian handlooms from colonial times is getting reformed and recreated with institutional efforts and hard work of the creators. These skills are said to regain its own position in the world market. Some innovations in the business process are making the journey simple for the industry. Kiukart is one such initiative that appears in the market as an association of Indian craftsmen. With the superior retailing technology it assists Indian crafts that have the ability to reach the farthest corner of the world. But this reach is not the reach of Kiukart. It’s the reach of looms where on one side weavers are sitting with their creativity. While on the other passionate customers are waiting for the weavers’ master collection. In this journey one can believe that in very near future Indian craftsmanship will be able to recreate its lost glory and with the hand of Kiukart-like initiative.
Visit: https://www.kiukart.com/