National Handloom Day 2021
August 7th is celebrated as the National Handloom Day every year for the past six years. For a saree addict like me, discovering genuine handloom sarees in 2016 was like finding Atlantis ! I quickly learnt about the weaving heritage that India has and just drowned myself in hand woven heaven.
This year, I wore a handwoven, tencel and pure silk saree to celebrate. Gopinath, the young weaver from Kanchipuram shared pictures of this saree and asked me if I was interested in trying this new mix. I am a little wary of silk mixed with polyester but since this was Gopinath, confirming that it is natural wood pulp yarn, I bought it.
The saree is butter soft, like the Katan silk of Benaras or the Mysore Crepe. Its surprisingly airy which is wonderful. It kept me cool even as we were out at Col Pradip’s place to meet with the Choma Eagles 😁 (young footballers – all girls).
I plan to get Madhubani painting done on this saree which will make it even more unique. Isn’t it a gorgeous colour ? Am wearing my favourite Dark red Jasper beads from Desh Maheshwari.
The other name for Tencel is Modal silk. Do read about Tencel – Sustainable fibre story. The Tencel yarn is derived from wood pulp, a renewable source. Natural yarns reduce our carbon footprint significantly. The processing of natural fibre into something else makes it unsustainable. For instance, the way cotton is converted to denim is totally unsustainable !! Do read The Environmental and Human Cost of Making a Pair of Jeans.
#MyHandloomMyPride
This year PM Modi has given the tag line/hashtag of #MyHandloomMyPride. There is a lot to be done in this sector and I hope with a new Textile Minister, things move into high gear. Mr. Piyush Goyal changed the power situation in India in his first stint and has put the Railways on a super growth path with huge changes. I certainly hope he does the same for the textile industry. Hand wovens should be one of our biggest exports !!
As always, I appeal to everyone reading my blog to buy handlooms. Start small, but do make a start. This its wearable art !
Contact Gopinath on +91 98946 65297 for pure silk sarees with pure zari. He is a young entrepreneur who is continuing his family business, so do encourage him.