Weaving and Varanasi are two sides of the same facet, one can’t exist without the other. This city is known for its weavers as much as it’s known for its culture. It is a sheer matter of pride for those who have been able to sustain this tradition, the weavers. Varanasi was considered the most important centre for patterned silk weaving in the 19th century, keeping the rich history intact, this city continues to represent itself as a centre that stands tall as the world’s most famous textile hub.
Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together. As the capital of the Kashi kingdom, Varanasi flourished as the textile centre making cotton fabrics the most sought after commodity around the world, in the 5th and the 6th century BC. Textiles such as Benarasi saree, Jamdani cotton, Kora cutwork, Resham Buti saree etc have evolved over the years with the changing audience and their taste. As per Wikipedia, there are now about 40,000 weavers left in Varanasi, as of 2015 that once stood at 300,000. The idea is to help this close knit weavers community flourish and continue to prosper economically.
The need of the hour, now is to give the long due credit to these weavers who now live under the fear that these age old skills of sophisticated weaving will succumb to the threat posed by power loom products. In this consumer oriented market, these weavers now need to play a major role where their work can be valued and taken beyond the known landscapes.
Weaving and Varanasi are two sides of the same facet, one can’t exist without the other. This city is known for its weavers as much as it’s known for its culture. It is a sheer matter of pride for those who have been able to sustain this tradition, the weavers. Varanasi was considered the most important centre for patterned silk weaving in the 19th century, keeping the rich
