Handloom – A Special craft
I hear the faint sound of the loom going ‘rap trap rap’ and the special scent of the agarbatti emitting out of a doorway from the streets of Kanjeevaram, an ancient temple town close to the city of Chennai. As I follow the scent I enter a small room where I see the art of Indian handloom weaving unfold before me. The sound and the smell has made me get into a trance of sorts and is quite meditative in nature. You might be surprised to note that these sights and sounds are same across any weaving community across India. Can you imagine that each of these communities in different geographical location across India produces a unique weave! Be it the famous Kanchipuram silk, Sungadi, Rasipuram, Thribhuvanam from Tamil Nadu, Mangalgiri, Ikat from Andhra Pradesh, sambalpuri from Odissa, Chanderi from Madhya Pradesh, Banares weaves of Varanasi, Paithanis of Maharashtra to the precious Patan Patola (the double Ikkat) from Gujarat. Not to mention the unique nature of tribal weaves a
