Banaras Silk Weaving

Varanasi (Banaras) is known for its exquisite silk sarees and complex woven techniques. This crowded, religious town has faced some tough times keeping this craft alive. There have been stories of suicide, starvation and desperation that was faced by the weavers over the last decade. The rise of power looms and the reduction in demand has caused a variety of economic problems. I had the opportunity to meet a wholesaler, Niyaz, who is trying to keep this art alive by promoting it aggressively domestically and internationally.

Attached is a video of the process of weaving silk. The design is first punched on cardboard as seen in the first part of the video. Each warp/weft intersection is punched to ensure accurate measurement and quick weaving. The second part of the video shows the use of these holed cardboard pieces. The pit handloom (rare and seen only in museums in the western world) picks up the warp threads into the selected holes and creates the design with every movement of the loom. The weft threads are passed through by the weaver prior to movement of the loom as seen in the video. I have also attached some photos of the fabrics and sarees created by these weavers. Most of the complex work is done with silk and gold thread (zari).

After talking to the weavers and Niyaz, I was really sad to hear the various issues that are still faced. The next generation of weavers are unwilling to pick up this art because it is not economically lucrative. The government sees the teaching of children as a violation of child labor and do not encourage them to learn this art. My own opinion is that this is a grey area where children of weaver families should be encouraged to learn the art without risk of abuse. It is like learning painting or sewing which is generally taught at a young age to nurture creative talent. The demand for power loom fabric is growing fast and currently both handloom and powerloom have 50% of the market. In a nutshell, the future of this art is bleak and something drastic needs to be done to ensure it does not die with the current generation of weavers. I am definitely looking to do my part by creating awareness in the Western world. Food for thought for all of you reading this- How do we keep this art alive?