We all know that, India is one of the most culturally strong and diverse countries on this planet. Our ancestors have developed arts, skills and techniques with scientific reasoning that are way beyond the thoughts of a modern mind. But did you know that, the art of handloom is the cultural heritage of India that feeds a large population in the rural areas. With everything being replaced by machines for faster and mass productions, the skills of genius artisans and their conditions began to be ignored.
The textile industry in India is majorly placed in the rural villages of our country, owned and managed by artisanal families. This industry is the second most employment generating sector after farming. Artisanal skills are deeply rooted in many families. It’s a legacy passed on to younger generations of the family, encouraging them to keep the handloom heritage alive. But the current situation of weavers and artisanal families is getting blown away by the commercial storm. They are struggling to survive and a collected effort to revive the art and providing better standards of living to the artisans is our responsibility we must fulfil. Commercialization has lost the human touch that sets apart handloom fabrics from machine made fabrics. Embracing these one of a kind fabrics not only means generating income for the artisans but also protecting cultural heritage of India from extinction.
The process of making handloom fabrics is strenuous and takes months to get them ready, but the end results of these products are worth the wait. The intricacy in their work shows love and respect of the artisans towards their art. Their dedication to provide us with their best product, working hard to get the best results is commendable. Their willingness to sustain the cultural heritage needs our support and motivation. Hence, it is upon us to show the same love and respect towards these fabrics. This way we are also motivating the artisans to work harder and pass on this priceless legacy of artisanal skills without any hesitation. It’s our choices that help in bettering every corner in this world. The thoughts and efforts of these genius artisans are worth sustaining.
Our country’s rich cultural heritage is the one area of expertise that we have aced beautifully. The real prosperity of country lives in the rural villages of India, which we all have turned our backs towards. It’s now time to walk back a few steps towards age old techniques which will help reinstate power in the hands of the geniuses while bestowing ourselves with fabrics that will leave us mesmerized.
At Patrah our goal is to generate income for these artisanal families, giving them hope and resilience to not walk away from the art that they’re blessed with. Sustaining the art and the artisans is extremely important as their work is distinct from what is created in the rest of the world. We would love to have your support in this little initiative of ours and help expand it, so that we can reach more and more artisans in India.
