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Handlooms of India

August 05, 2016 2 min read

The title of this note is misleading as it is too broad – it is like saying ‘the universe’…

I am sure that even if I were to toil 10 days and 10 nights continuously, the exercise of listing out all the handloom textiles produced in India would not be complete.

This note is not that ambitious – it is a set of photos of a visit to the Handloom Expo organised by the Textile ministry a few months ago.

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The beauty of textiles at such expos ranges from mediocre to spectacular. And along with vendors from most of the states of India there is also a display booth with some items specially picked out / commissioned by the ministry.

These are photos of that booth:

Some were saris – that no doubt beautiful, were things that I might find in my own wardrobe:

But here are some others that were new to me and interesting!

A whole day can be spent at this expo and though the hunt is tedious, the rewards are delightful! Plus the fact that the expo is on only for a limited period, puts some pressure on the decision-making.

When I’m in Singapore out shopping – I come back with nothing – as I find nothing worth buying. And that has sometimes led to thoughts of self-doubt …. is it that I have lost interest in the material things – is it that I am now too dull and jaded – is it that the fire of life has left me … and so on.

But at the Handloom Expo when I leave exhausted and happy assisted by others to carry home bags full of textiles that I could not have lived without, I know that all is well!

A big thank-you to the Ministry of Textiles for organising these annual events!

p.s. – The colloquial phrase “this is a handloom” actually means “this is a handloom textile“. My grandaunts from whom I learnt the word “handloom” have almost certainly never laid their eyes on an actual loom in their entire lives but they have enjoyed wearing many many handlooms!

And so we have handloom exhibitions where not a single loom is exhibited.

Yes – Indlish can be as confusing as real English – what to do!