This articlecontainspromotional content.(December 2018) |
Handloom sarisare a traditionaltextile artofBangladeshandIndia.The production of handloomsarisis important for economic development in rural India.[1]
Completion of a single sari takes two to three days of work. Several regions have their own traditional styles of weaving handloom saris.[citation needed]
The weaving process
editA handloom sari is often woven on a shuttle-pitloommade from ropes, wooden beams and poles.[2]The shuttle is thrown from side-to-side by the weaver. Other weavers use a fly-shuttle loom which can produce different types of patterns. The saris can vary in size and quality.[1]
Handloom sari weaving is generally a family business and is one of India'scottage industries.[3]The handloom saris are made from silk or cotton threads. The handloom weaving process requires several stages in order to produce the final product. Traditionally the processes ofdyeing(during the yarn, fabric, or garment stage),warping,sizing, attaching the warp, weft winding andweavingwere done by weavers and local specialists around weaving villages.[4]However, currently most of the activities are outsourced.[citation needed]
Major regional weaving traditions
editWeaving takes place in many regions of India.[5]Each region follows traditions for themotifs,designs and colours. Handloom weaving takes place in villages supporting lakhs (hundred thousands) of families for theirlivelihoods.
Types of handloom saris
editTant sariis a traditional sari ofBangladesh."Tant" means "Handloom" inBengali language.Handloom industry in Tangailis famous for itsTangail sariswhich are also a type of Tant sari.[6]Some of the well-known Indian handloom saris[7]areKanchipuram silk saris,Maheshwari saris,Bagh printsaris,Chanderi silk saris,Tussar silk saris,Banarasi silk saris,Baluchuri saris,Sambalpuri saris,Kantha stitch saris,Bandhani saris and Munga saris. Some handloom saris are made out of high-quality silk fabric, which is valued for its lustre.
Tant sari
editTant sarisare one of the earliest sari weaving techniques. It is the most common cloth used byBengali women.Bengal Tant handlooms especially thrived during theMughal periodinDhakaandSonargaon,where it received immense support from the royalty withmuslinandjamdaniwhich are now aIntangible cultural heritageas well asGi productsofBangladesh.[8]
Tangail saris
editTangail weaving stands as one of Bangladesh's oldest cottage industries, withTangail weave sareesgaining global appreciation.The immensely popular Handloom sarees from, Tangail, Bangladesh are known for their finer count and intricate designs, with extra warp designs using coloured yarn.[9]
Baluchari saris
editThe designs on Baluchari saris[10][11]featuremythologystories that can be seen in the temples ofBishnupur & BankuraofWest Bengal.Thepallusand borders showcase elaborate designs of flowers, animals and royal court scenes. Some feature scenes from theRamayanaandMahabharata.The most popular colours of Baluchari saris are green, red, white and yellow.
A master weaver usually takes 20–25 days to complete weaving of a Baluchari sari.
Kanchipuram saris
editThe quality ofzari[12]used in weaving Kanchipuram saris inTamil Naduis viewed as high quality and attracts foreign visitors. The zaris used are generally gold and silver.
Tussar saris
editTussar sari are soft to touch and are woven in areas ofChhattisgarh,JharkhandandBhagalpur.The bright colour combinations and the breathable nature of thefabricmake it unique.
Banarasi saris
editBanarasi saris[13]have been a valuable possession forbrides.Woven by craftsmen ofUttar Pradesh,they feature intricately woven designs with golden and silver threads. These saris are usually heavy and are traditionally worn infestivalsas well as at weddings.
Impact on the economy and weavers' cooperatives
editThe handloom sector plays a vital role in India's economy. It is responsible for nearly 22%[14]of the cloth produced in the country. The handloom sector is the second largest economic activity after agriculture, employing nearly 30 lakh (three hundred thousand) weavers and 4.33 million people in all, according to the Handloom Census of 2009–2010. In the 2010 census, 4.4 million families were engaged in hand weaving. In December 2011, the handloom industry wove 6.9 billion square metres (74.3 billion square feet) of cloth.
Theeconomic policy in Indiaaims to advance the handloom industry from the pre-independence period. The Textile Policy 1985 emphasized the promotion of handloom garments.Andhra Pradeshis said to be the home of 359,212 weaver families who work in primary cooperative handloom societies. Primary Handloom Weavers Cooperatives (PHWCS)[15]includes weavers within certain specific geographical limits and provides production work to the members. The cooperatives also ensure that the weavers receive fair wages and conduct various welfare measures.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abShailaja, D. N. (April 2006)."An insight into the traditional handloom of Kinnal, Karnataka"(PDF).Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge.5(2):173–176.
- ^""Handloom Sarees Online"".Archived fromthe originalon 2020-01-28.Retrieved2015-10-10.
- ^"Origin of Handloom Sarees"
- ^"weaving"
- ^"Silks of India".Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles.
- ^"The magic of Tangail taant".The Daily Star(Opinion). 12 February 2024.
- ^"Varieties of Handloom Sarees".Archived fromthe originalon 2017-05-19.Retrieved2015-05-19.
- ^"All About Bengal Tant Sarees: From History to Styling".Parinita.
- ^Debnath, Aparajita; Roy, Anupam Debashis (4 February 2024)."Bring back our sarees".The Daily Star(Opinion).
- ^Baluchari, Sarees."Baluchari Silk Sarees".sareesofbengal.com.Archived fromthe originalon 2018-02-02.Retrieved2018-02-20.
- ^"About Baluchuri Sarees"
- ^"Glory of South India"
- ^Bunkar: The Last of the Varanasi Weavers,retrieved2019-04-21
- ^"Growth and Prospects of Handloom Sector in India"(PDF).National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2016-03-04.
- ^"PHWCS"