India’s textile heritage is often defined by royal silks, brocades, and muslins. But what did ordinary folk wear? That was the question driving Hemalatha Jain as she sought to rediscover lost weaves from Karnataka.
These were the fabrics worn by women working in the fields, sarees lovingly gifted by parents to their daughters on weddings, and sarees adorned with motifs wishing prosperity for pregnant women.
Over time, these weaves faded into obscurity, their meaning and symbolism forgotten. The rise of power looms replaced handlooms, and with them, the art of dyeing yarn, setting up looms, and perfecting yarn counts vanished with the master weavers.
For the past decade, Hemalatha Jain has journeyed across Karnataka, dedicated to reviving these forgotten weaves.
This is her story.
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#handloom #craft #ilkal #handloomsarees #karnataka
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