This story is from December 8, 2017

Rajasthan Heritage Week weaves in dreams for the artisans

The story of weaves, khadi and traditional fabric printing in Rajasthan has come a long way.
Rajasthan Heritage Week weaves in dreams for the artisans
The event is presented by The Khadi Board along with the Government of Rajasthan, in association with Prasad Bidapa Associates.
JAIPUR: The story of weaves, khadi and traditional fabric printing in Rajasthan has come a long way. But seven years of Geographical Indication (GI) certificate to ‘Sanganeri hand block printing’ didn’t do as much for the 500-year-old printing art on textiles, as just three years of the Rajasthan government hosting the Rajasthan Heritage Week, RHW, did, to boost the demand for the fabric.

45-year-old Awdesh Kumar a President’s award recipient in Sanganeri Hand Block printing has been in the industry for as long as he remembers. Showcasing his work at the RHW he says, “Ours was so long an unorganized sector wherein we had to struggle to make a mark. But ever since I got the RHW as a platform three years back through Bibi Russell, the Bangladeshi fashion designer working with the Rajasthan government, going has been good. My turnover per year has touched about Rs 5 crore with leading stores in the country stocking my merchandise besides 4-5 of my own stores pan India,” beamed Awdesh who also supplies to the Central Cottage Industries Emporium, Delhi.
To name a few, so is the case with Sitaram, a national award winning weaver from Bikaner for innovation, whose Khadi weave is un-paralleled in the world, as Bibi says. “The last RHW just the CM Vasundhara Raje coming my stall and selecting some stuff boosted my sales tenfold. I didn’t receive the art as a legacy but today I have 108 weavers working for me. If prior to the exposure at the RHW and coming in contact with Bibi my khadi’s turnover was Rs 6 lakh per annum, now it’s touched a crore. I may have innovated in making the finest khadi, but Bibi’s guidance in the color combinations and designs helped enhance the end product,” said Sitaram whose son Chandra Prakash assists him while picking up the threads of the business.
And unlike the other traditional crafts dying a slow death with the younger generations weaning away for other options, the weavers and printers of Rajasthan are carrying on the craftsmanship they received in legacy and are successfully passing on the baton to their younger generations.
Ram Kishore Derawala from Bagru is also elated over the recent order of 2500 pieces of Tussar sarees from Fab India. “My participation in the RHW has escalated my revenue by 30 per cent,” he says.
That’s exactly what the CM Raje’s mandate was, affirms Prasad Bidapa, the fashion choreographer for the event. The event is aimed towards ‘branding Khadi and Handloom masterpieces and position them as true luxury that is rare and unique. Khadi is a way of life now.

“The show has moved up the ladder in the last three years. The first year there were only 7-9 artisans participating and only 35 stalls of the textile exhibit. Today there are 19 artisans and 88 stalls. The event aims to create increased employment, success and a better quality of life for the artisans of the state,” said Bidapa. Meanwhile, echoing the sentiment Bibi, says, “I am happy fashion benefiting so many craftspeople and leading to development and social inclusion!”
The event is presented by The Khadi Board along with the Government of Rajasthan, in association with Prasad Bidapa Associates.
End of Article
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA