Handloom Sector in India

Along with the artistry of weavers, the Indian handloom industry

demonstrates the richness and diversity of Indian culture. With over
4.3 people directly and indirectly involved in the production,
the handloom industry is the second-largest employment provider
for the rural population in India after agriculture. Indian handloom
products are known for their unique designs and finesse. The trend
is to mix old designs with new techniques and create original
products.
The industry has strong infrastructure. With about 2.4 million looms
of varied designs and construction, indicating significant production
capacity.
The Handloom promotion (HEPC) is a Statutory body
constituted under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India,
to promote the export of all handlooms products such as fabrics,
home furnishings. carpets and floor coverings.
Indian handloom sector Of the textile industry is ancient and has
served the economy in terms Of employment. At present
juncture. It can play a major role in the quota free trade regime
by getting rationabzed and supported for bringing out with value
added and customized products for consumers ON over the world.
For this a right type of support by the Government becomes
inevitable.
Handloom industry is the largest cottage industry in the country.
The sector is very irnportant from the gx»int of view of its size and
employment potential. It provides direct and indirect employment
to over 13 million weavers and is the largest economic activity
second only to agriculture. The relevance Of the handloom sector
in the agrarian economy is massive because of its linkages with
crucial sensitive Sectors like agriculture. It agricultural
products as row materials and, therefore. provides an ever-ready
market for agricultural produce. Therefore, in an economy Where
majority of people rely on agrarian sector for their livelihocxf.
the significance of handloom is well understood. It also gives
employment to a lot Of women and, thus. plays its role in wornen
em powerment

The strength Of this sector is its innovation and dynamism in relating itself to
the changing market needs and requirements. Indian textile industry. including
spinning, weaving (and knitting), fabric processing and garment-making units.
account for about one-fifth of India\ s total industrial output in 1994-95 and
about 7 percent Of GDP • share Of the handloom sub-sector in fabric Output is
around 35 percent. This sector also contributes nearly 23 of the total
cloth produced
Over the centuries handlooms have come to be associated with excenence in
India\ s artistry in fabrics. Right from the ancient times. the high quality Of Indian
handlOOrn products like muslin Of Silk brocades Of Varanasi. the tie
and dye products of Rajasthan and Orissa, the Chintas of Machhlipatnam, the
himroos Of Hyderabad, the Khes Of Punjab, the prints Of Farrukhabad. the Phenek
and Tongam and bottle designs Of Assam ond Manipur, the Maheshwari sorees
Of Madhya Pradesh and the patola Of have been farnous all
The art and craft traditions since almost the dawn of civilisation has been
kept alive despite sweeping changes due to continuous efforts Of generations
of artists and craftsmen who weaved their dreams and visions into exquisite
handloom products.
The handloom industry now provides livelihood to over 90 million people in the
country. It continues to be craft•oriented. even though it was circumscribed by a
limited choice Of processing and technology. During the first half Of the present
century there was very little effort to develop the handloom sector and the
handloom weavers were pitted against modern textile mills. They struggled to
survive not only against the unfair competition but also against the unscrupulous
middlemen Who did everything to ensure that the weavers remained in perpetual
debt trap. It is a tribute to their ingenuity and skill that they succeeded in
preserving the long tradition Of excellence in hand-weaving, dyeing. in-printing
and craftsmanship.
As a result of current Government involvement through monetary support
and application Of various progressive and well being schemes. this Sector
been able to withstand race from the power loomand mill sectors. This sector
subsic%zes nearly 22% of the total cloth produced in the country and also
enhances considerably to export remunerations. Handloom is matchless in its
plasticity and usefulness. testing and promising
The strength of Handloom lies in the introducing inventive designs, which never
be simulated by the Power loom Sector. Accordingly, Handloom forms a part Of
the tradition of India and illustrates the fruitfulness and of our country
and the artistry Of the weavers.
The Office Of the Development Comrnissioner for Handlooms has been executing
Since its beginning in the year 1976, several schemes for the upgrade and
development Of the hand loom sector and providing assistance to the hand loorn
weavers in o variety of ways.
The central government needs to recognise the value of the handloom sector in
sustainable On its specific. the government would never be able
to provide employment to such a huge labour force. Successful by the reason Of
liberalisation itself. the government in turn Should to encourage and
boost policies that sustain this employment. Government has to ensure a 'level
playing field' for this sector towards healthy race between the different sub•
sectors Of the Indian textile industry.
WEST BENGAL

When one thinks of Bengal, one of the first things to pop up in our mind, right after the fish and
sweets, is its thriving saree industry. Sarees form an integral part of every Bengali woman's
wardrobe and one of the most popular textiles that boast of a rich history and heritage is the
Jamdani saree. Popularly known as Dhakai Jamdani or simply Dhakai, this art of textile weaving has
its roots in Dhaka. Bangladesh. Considered to be one of finest variety of muslin that is handwoven
from cotton, the art flourished under the Mughal patronage. Even the name, Jamdani. is of Persian
origin and comes from the word "jam" meaning flower and "dani" meaning vase. The name is
suggestive of the beautiful floral motifs on these sarees. -One of the most laborious forms of
handloom weaves. it's no surprise that it is considered to be one of the most prized fabrics in the
world. Jamdani weaving is time- consuming and labour-intensive because of the richness
of its motifs, which are created directly on the loom
using the discontinuous weft technique. Threads of gold
and silver are usually woven together with these sarees
to create a variety of patterns and motifs on a brocade
loom. It has the supplementary weft technique along
with the standard weft technique. The standard weft
creates a fine, sheer fabric while the supplementary weft
with thicker threads adds the intricate patterns to it.
Each of the supplementary weft motif is manually added
by interlacing the weft threads with fine bamboo sticks
using individual spools. It gives an illusion Of the designs
floating on a shimmering surface, a characteristic of
Jamdani weaves.

ANAHITA WEST BENGAL

West Bengal, in its proximity to Dhaka (in present

day Bangladesh) is home to some of the oldest
Jamdani weaving families. They say a craft cannot
be seen in isolation as it is as much a product of
its geographical landscape and people as it is of
the material and skill with which it is created. In
antiquity Dacca not only had the best weavers but
the land itself had the best cotton in the world.
The jamdani patterned muslin fabrics produced in
Dacca were incomparable. Even to date, after the
separation in 1951, several weaving families that
migrated to West Bengal continue to pass down
this tradition generation after generation.
West Bengal lies in the Eastern part of India and
much like any state in India, has a rich history
of folk art and craft traditions all its own. It is
the delta formed by the Ganga and Bramhaputra
rivers. It is flanked by the Himalayas on the north,
and the hills and wetlands on the south.
To study West Bengal in its totality was as much
part of our research as was the field work we
conducted. We visited various museums and
places of interest in Kolkata such as the Indian
Museum, Ashutosh Museum, the Asiatic Society
of Bengal, house cum museum at
Jorasanko, and the Marble Palace, trying to gather
a holistic idea of the place and what shaped its
cultural heritage and traditions into what it is
today. That corroborated with the secondary
research is what we present in this sub-chapter.

Influences that Shaped the Culture,

Aesthetics and Craft Heritage of Bengal

"Bengali culture has transformed with every major

historical event or invasion that has taken place.
It has incorporated the many cultural traditions
and art forms that came into being during various
historical periods such as the Aryan invasion in
the first millennium Mauryan period in
the third century BC. the Pala dynasty and so on.
During the rule of different dynasties major
g•ographical and therefore cultural changes
occurred as well. During the Pala Dynasty of
AD 750, Bengal, Odisha and Bihar were brought
together. It was during this period that tlw arts
and other traditions of Buddhism flourished. "Ihe
British Raj also began by the consolidation of
the villages of Kolkata, Gobindapur and Sutanuti
in the 1690s, which was the birth of the city of
Calcutta, present day Kolkata. Calcutta was the
capital of the British Raj and even today one sees
extensive colonial architecture all over the city.
"Vedic literature and Sanskrit were already rooted
in classical culture, until they gave way to Muslim
influence when the 'IUrks and Afghans began to
take hold of northern India.
Bengal eventually became a Muslim state in
1707. 'lhe folklore of rural Hindu Bengal and the
refined classical traditions of Muslim art merged

effortlessly to give Bengal a rich cultural tradition,

most suited to the sustenance of art and aesthetics
in a variety of forms.
Bengal is host to numerous festivals all year
round, enabling its people to use the products and
artefacts of its artisan community in full measure.
'Baro masher teroparban' (thirteen festivals in
twelve months) is how the locals describe the
cultural life of their beloved state" (Jaitley 234).
"Bengal has seen the rise and decline of
Buddhism, hegemonic Brahminism, the Bhakti
movement, Islamic rule, the Colonial era, and
finally the Partition and independence of India,
1947 when the eastern part went to Pakistan and
eventually became Bangladesh. Bengal has age-
old folk traditions preserved among the tribals
and villagers such as Chhau mask dance, Baul
singers and dhokracasting. "The easy availability of
raw materials such as clay from the river banks,
bamboo, grass, shola pith and wood, enables
craftsmen to flourish.
A unique feature in Bengal is the large variety of
artisanal communities such as chitrakar(painter);
kumbhakar(potter); kansakar (metal workers);
sutradhar (wood or stone carver); tantubay
(weaver); and sankhakar (conch shell engraver).
With its natural beauty which has inspired poets
and writers for ages, West Bengal has been a
home of many traditional crafts like the making of
Baluchari and Jamdani saris, terecotta sculpture
and pottery, and dhokra objects" (Ranjan 240).
We see the craft of Jamdani against this rich and
complex backdrop of folk art, craft, religion,
festivals, mangroves, mountains and rivers. All
of these factors have in some way played an
important role in its evolution.

BURDMAN HANDLOOM CLUSTER

"The Burdwan cluster holds a significant place

in the Bengal handloom industry. Its two main
subdivisions are Kalna and Katwa. The weaving
community is largely concentrated at Ketugram,
Ghoshhat, Panuhat, Musthali, Tamaghat,
Kamalnagar, Mertala, Purulia, Serampore,
Vidyanagar, Hatsimla, Nasratpur, Goalpara and
Dhatrigram areas.The main products of the
Burdwan Cluster are the cotton Baluchari, Tangail
and the Jamdani sari with jacquard designs
along with coarser varieties of products such as
lungi, gamcha and so on" (National Handloom
Development Corporation Ltd., 3). Along with
these traditional woven products, commodities
for export such as scarves, dress materials, home
furnishing yardages and shirting fabrics are also
being produced.
GEOGRAPHY

Purba Bardhaman district in West Bengal, India is a place of ancient culture, religion,
tradition and has the glory of its own. Its geographical coordinates are 23˚ 52' 56"N and
87˚ 51' 24" E located about 105km from Kolkata. It covers an area of 5,433sq.km. And a
total population of the district according to census 2011is 4,835,532. The district
consists of four subdivision: Bardhaman Sadar (North), Bardhaman Sadar (South),
Katwa, and Kalna. Mainly two sub-divisions Katwa and Kalna have a concentration of
handloom weavers.

The district is well known as a weaving centre with a name for cotton and silk saris and
plays an important role in district economy. The talented weavers, after getting
necessary support and encouragement from government, revived their inherited
livelihood and the exquisite art of weaving flourished once again. Saris in
sensible colours and exotic designs are produced in the weaving belt of the district
creating excellent fabrics in its own exclusive weaving style through the jacquard
mechanism.

CLIMATE
The Bardhaman lies on 36m above sea level The climate here is tropical. The summers are
much rainier than the winters in Bardhaman.

The average annual temperature is 26.3 °C | 79.4 °F in Bardhaman. In a year, the rainfall is
1313 mm | 51.7 inch.