Serenekeya

"WEAVERS, weaving at break of day,

Why do you weave a garment so gay? … Blue as the wing of a halcyon wild, We weave the robes of a new-born child” -Sarojini Naidu.

"WEAVERS, weaving at break of day, 

Why do you weave a garment so gay? …  Blue as the wing of a halcyon wild,  We weave the robes of a new-born child”  -Sarojini Naidu.

Thousands of hand-looms and  tribal jewelry makers across India have become silent in the last few years. The centuries-old art of weaving is dying a slow death because weavers are unable to make ends meet.

Clad in nine yards of stunning Indian handloom, Vidya Balanhas branded herself as the quintessential Indian beauty today. The Sabyasachi saris that transformed her from a fashion disaster to an elegant diva, sell like hot cakes. Hyderabadidesigner Gaurang Shah’s handwoven saris that are adorned by the likes of Tina Ambani and Kirron Kher are priced at anything above a neat `1,00,000. Such is the demand of Indian weaves and handloom, that our designers take great pride in showcasing them at Paris, Milan or New York. And each piece of cloth has a story to tell. But dig deep into the tale of Andhra Pradesh’s looms and you’ll find nothing short of a tear-jerker. And Puttapaka weaver Shravan Kumar’s is one such sad story.

** Back home in Andhra Pradesh, weaver suicides continue due to abject poverty and lack of avenues to better their living conditions.

** Handloom weavers and their family members may from tuberculosis in Uttar Pradesh. Due to poor living conditions.

 **  Pabitra Brahma(name changed) 25, is one of more than 25000 migrant women, mostly from the Bodo Tribe, who migrate seasonally to Sualkuchi, the largest silk village in lower Assam’s Kamrup District, to work as a contractual weaver. ago. Like most of her counterparts, Pabitra is unmarried and lives in cramped rented dormitories in conditions that are far from congenial or healthy.

** Ram Kumar, a weaver from West Bengal, says the demand is low; hence they are forced to produce a limited stock.  "People are very specific in terms of design and style; hence handloom textiles don’t attract them much. So, we either make garments inspired by Western designs or wait for the stock to finish.

** "The Handloom Reservation Act needs a complete makeover. Today a majority of the items covered under this act are made by the decentralised powerloom sector. Though the government tried its level best to prevent the powerloom sector from producing such varieties, they failed to enforce the same," Singha said who works with about 200 weavers.

** Imagine an India without Brocade, Jamawar, Ikkat, Chanderi, Dhakai, Maheshwari, Jamdani, Kota Doria, Baluchari, Paithainai or Pochampalli. Imagine never having a hand-made piece of clothing ever. 

** The hand-loom is an ancient industry in India and its use varies throughout the region, in some parts of Kerela, Tamilnadu, Assam and Orissa, it has become a mature industry, while in other parts it is still used primarily as a household staple.

** Even the Chinese have jumped on the band wagon producing machines made sari’s that are sold by dishonest dealers as the real thing. Indian weavers say they can’t compete leaving many looms to fall silent. 

** wilderness the hand-loom industry is in dangerous decline impacting the livelihoods of the weavers and also instituting an artistic bankruptcy for future generations!!

Therefore, It is my deliberate decision to knock-off the lost Art of India,  I am taking an acquaintance to make zoetic Hand-loom Industry and ethnic handwork of our blotted out Artists across India and Internationally!!

***PS. I have such respect for these beautiful custom made fabrics and hand made designs all original and today still made by the Banjara women, these ladies KNOW how to dress in vibrant fantastic traditional outfits are all about more is more! I think antique tribal Jewllery is great statement to complete a look!!

As I am starting my online Boutique “Red Orchids”  I am looking forward to work with a group of Jewelry artisans in Jaipur, Kutch, Assam, Orissa & Bengle, Africa and different coutries of South-East-Asia, who create bespoke jewelry pieces, includes working with designs to personalize and custom make your own jewelry creation and with visiting hand loom workshops to provide highest grade of contentment to myself, my patronage and shoppers!!!!