Why Should You Prefer Handlooms?
Did you know that India contributes to 95% of the world’s handwoven fabrics?
India is a land of rich culture and heritage. Diverse forms of art, crafts, and handlooms are present in the country. Every state in the country has its own cuisine, weaving style, dance forms, and much more. Every state in India has its own famous hand weave.
The evolution of the world has brought in many fabrics made on machines. Though there are hundreds of artificial fabrics, handlooms still stand out! No amount of color or variety in artificial fabrics can beat the elegance of a handloom. With time, handlooms have also changed making them better with each day. Handlooms that were only permitted to the rural areas earlier are now available in the e-stores, for example, you can buy khadi sarees online without going to that real store.
Here are a few reasons for you to choose handlooms over other fabrics:
1. Eco friendly
The world is moving towards sustainable fashion. Handlooms are eco-friendly, they cause zero damage to the environment in their making. The dyes used in obtaining the colors of the yarn are also achieved through natural procedures. The industry looms use a lot of artificial dyes and many greenhouse gases are emitted in its making. These harmful gases lead to global warming. The machines used in the making of artificial looms consume a lot of energy.
Whereas in handlooms, there is no emission of gases or damage to the environment in any form. The handlooms don’t require any external energy, except for that of the weaver. Hence they are energy efficient. The dye used is both skin-friendly and environment friendly. When you buy a handloom saree, you are contributing to a cleaner world.
2. Labour of love
Handloom fabrics are woven by skilled weavers. It is a complex art that requires lots of patience, focus, and creativity. It takes about 4 to 5 days to one saree. There is immensely hard work behind these six yards of elegance. Every thread in the saree is made and woven by hand.
Weavers have been weaving their emotions for centuries. In many families, this is an inherited art. When you choose a handloom saree, you are helping this beautiful art reach the next generation. The weavers weave each saree with lots of love and happiness. You can feel a special warmth in this labor of love.
3. Support to the locals
The majority of handlooms come from rural areas. While the industry looms might be imported ones. Do you know that there are about 4.33 million weavers in India? Handlooms are slowly dying as we are choosing industry looms over these masterpieces. If this continues, the majority of the weavers might have to quit weaving and go in search of other occupations for their livelihood. You can support these talented artisans by choosing their art. You can also contribute to the development of these small businesses. You can also support them by purchasing from various online stores and websites. You can buy from Benares silk, Mysore silk, Chanderi cotton, and also the nation’s favorite Khadi sarees online.
4. Vast choices
Handlooms are boundless. Each state has its own kind of handloom, you have a minimum of 29 different options to choose from. There are hundreds of different hand-woven fabrics available in India. There are various unique weaves, embroideries, hand paintings done to the sarees. You can find fabrics that will suit every occasion. Be it casual wear or for weddings, you will stand out of the crowd if you choose to wear a handloom. They are available in bold and bright colors along with beautiful motifs. Choose the one for you from this ocean of choices.
5. Culture and heritage
Handlooms are a perfect fusion of fashion and culture. Choosing this remarkable form of art is one of the easiest ways to carry forward our culture. The various weaving patterns across the states say a lot about the diversity of our country. The handlooms in India were in use for over 5000 years. The beauty of handlooms is mentioned in many famous poems, holy inscriptions, and folk tales. How can we forget the importance of handlooms in achieving freedom? The Swadeshi movement, a game-changer in the Indian Independence movement, was mainly based on handlooms especially khadi. Handlooms are a window into our history and culture.
Handlooms possess great elegance which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. In these highly advanced times, we should encourage and shift to handlooms to preserve our rich culture and vivid art. This is one step towards a healthier and cleaner world.
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