“A good life is like weaving. Energy is created in the tension. The struggle, the pull, and tug are everything.” – Joan Erikson
From a thread of colour is woven a saree that shines. That’s how a saree was traditionally woven – by hand through a loom that was rocked like a mother rocks the cradle that holds her child – with love and a benevolent smile as her loom gently weaved the saree that another would wear.
The weaver’s hand is fundamental to fabric creation: punctilious attention to design, selection of the precious yarns and precise workmanship are the elements that set its quality apart and make all such products exclusive examples of artisan excellence.
The Udupi handwoven saree is one of the finest examples of hand weaves in the country. It is rich not only in texture but also in culture. The saree has a varied combination of vivid bright colours on the border and the pallu, made from natural dye or starch for the colour, with yarn. The combed cotton yarn is then used to make the saree consisting of counts 80” to 60” (higher the count, more the thickness and the softness of the saree). It is purely hand woven on a hand-driven loom and the weavers enjoyed the satisfaction of earning a decent livelihood from their art cum profession as well see their creations worn by their customers. What more could one ask for?
But then came the mean machines, quick, cheap to operate and without the unevenness that comes from a shaky hand. And the weavers who held the tradition in their hands and heart had to fade away… until now. The weavers and traditional artists of Dakshin Kannada have returned to this traditional artwork, that was on the verge of extinction. Their numbers have increased from 42 two years ago to 59 and that is the good news. Traditions should sustain because they keep us rooted.
The origin of weaving in Udupi
The history of Udupi sarees traces its roots to the Malabar frame looms, that were bought by the Basel Mission in 1844. Today they are barely a part of our society. It was also a part of the Swaraj movement – the boycott of western goods. Handlooms are not just traditional to our culture, but also a livelihood for many of our forefathers.
“What we observed is youngsters are not interested in this profession nowadays. Maybe because of the lack of what they consider, adequate remuneration and what they perceive as respectable work. Even if the sarees are available for a reasonable price people do not recognize the difference between real handloom and fake handloom products. Everything is in the appearance and sometimes even the local people are not aware that such art form even exists, “says Rai.
The revival begins
The revival may be credited to the Kadike Trust, which in association with Talipady Weavers Society (TWS), launched the Udupi Saree Revival Drive to throw light upon the rich saree handloom culture in the society.
“Many artisans have returned to their profession, with the condition being much better than before. We just did not want this culture to be unknown and that was our main goal.”, says Mamatha Rai, President, Kadike Trust.
Established two years ago, this Trust is formed by a group of like-minded people with the objective to promote eco-friendly rural livelihoods and nurture ecological sustainability. “When we realized that that the city’s favourite Udupi handwoven saree was on the verge of extinction, my husband and I visited various weavers’ societies in the coastal area. We realized that there were only 42 active weavers, most of them who are above 60 years old. So, we needed to help them in every possible way.”
And so, Venkatesh Shettigar, a weaver who was highly skilled in weaving the 80-count saree, returned to his home of handlooms. Bharathi Shettigar also returned to the hand-looming tradition, weaving a 60-count saree a day. “Earlier, weavers used to top sarees of 120 counts, for the better thickness of the saree. Higher the count, higher the thickness in the weave, making the fabric soft.”, says Mamatha.
Funding is obviously a concern for activities of this nature. “We directly do not ask for donations but use our own funds in the trust. On a few occasions, donors have come in to help. Some helped with the Rs. 30,000 for Bharathi to set up a shed for weaving. People from Haryana and Tamil Nadu have also contributed voluntarily to the trust that focuses on building a better livelihood.”
The NABARD has sanctioned funds to the trust to train new weavers of Coastal Karnataka, out of which 5 have already completed their training. “We also conducted training along with NABARD with 5 completed trainees and joined the society. The new weavers are around 41 years old and follow the profession out of passion, “ said Rai.
Challenges galore!
The trust has faced multiple challenges in reviving the industry, but with demand growing in the naturally dyed sarees, the weavers have been able to sustain. “The condition is much better than what it was 2 years ago. We are encouraging them to raise the prices and honouring ever weaver in the TWS with awards. Usually, when people buy the sarees, they do not know the hand behind it. We branded the saree, with the weaver’s name, and photographs, so that they know who crafted it.”
The trust has also worked on the revival initiative in Padupanamburu, where a weaver has also won a national award and has been recommended to the craft council.
The Kadike Trust promotes Yaksha sarees, also known as Kase sarees, weaved by the artists of the Shivalli Weavers Society that are often used by the Yakshagana artists. “They are the artists who go through multiple tasks for weaving the saree, and their recognition is extremely vital for the consumer to acknowledge.
Mamatha Rai says social media has helped a lot in this revival. “Social media has helped us create awareness about the challenges and importance of these sarees and handloom weavers. If it were not for this initiative, Udupi Sarees would have certainly become extinct.”
It is a commendable effort on the part of the Kadike trust to be fighting for the survival of this culturally rich art form. But it does not stop there. It has also helped many individual weavers fortify their health and wellbeing. The weavers have returned to their profession, young weavers are trained to sustain the tradition, and the Udupi Saree is growing in popularity.
And the weaver – for him, its bliss when he sees a customer buy a saree and drape it! The magic, after all, lies in the hand that weaves
There is a lesson to be learnt too. In the words of John Piper, “We look at life from the backside of the tapestry. And most of the time, what we see is loose threads, tangled knots, and the like. But occasionally, God’s light shines through the tapestry, and we get a glimpse of the larger design with God weaving together the darks and lights of existence.”
