Bengal weavers add colour to capitals Onam season

With Onam around the corner, many are in search of a perfect Kerala saree. So, how about adding a Bengali twist to your Onam wardrobe? The Rang Mahal Bengali Weavers Exhibition, being held at YMCA, has come to dazzle the city with designs of the quintessential Kerala saree, but done in soft, Bengali handloom. Rang Mahal, the organisation coordinating the festival, collects the textiles from over 250 weavers from the Nadia district in West Bengal. Their officials sell these fabrics in different parts of the country and ensure that monetary benefits directly go to the weavers. Sarees, kurta fabrics and shawls of different colours lush green, royal blue, deep red with beautiful printed designs and patterns that make them unique. The weavers have preserved around 55 traditional motifs used by their ancestors. No other textile manufacturer has these Bengali motifs, explains a weaver at the exhibition. According to Sharmishta Das, co-ordinator, youngsters are increasingly patronising the exhibition. They understand the need for sustainable fashion. And when it blends with the cultural uniqueness, young women prefer to buy them, she adds. Two young customers, Ambili C and Gaya Puthalathe, agreed to this. We often see clothing festivals of Khadi, and we wanted to try something new, Ambili says. She adds that Bengali fashion had always felt special to her, especially the soft fabrics. While COVID nearly destroyed their business, weavers are of immense confidence that the handloom industry will rise back. The competition with the mass-produced machine-made clothes is tough, but the superior quality and intricate designs of handloom are what we believe will help us move forward, explains Sharmishta. Though the popular notion is that younger generations of handloom workers do not want to be in this profession, many weavers say their children help them find new ways for their business to grow. They analyse social media media and find out what is popular, and we try to integrate that into the fabrics like landscapes, artefacts, colours, etc, Sharmishta adds. Surojit Das, a young weaver, agrees. Acceptance for our work is what inspires me, he says. As part of finding ways to survive in todays world, Sharmishta says, weavers are trying to incorporate the cultures of states they visit into their clothes. In that spirit, the weavers have introduced off-white saris inspired by Keralas kasavu weaves. Not just in Kerala, weravers get inspiration from several states thay visit. They take photos and specimens such as paintings, which reflect the lands cultures, back with them. Later, they will try to integrate them with their fabrics. We have even taken samples of mural paintings from Kerala, she smiles. Multi-coloured borders, unseen patterns, and starch-free material are what attract women customers more to the Bengal weaves, she adds. Moreover, handloom cotton is the ideal material for the South Indian ethos and Kerala culture. People should see it as a social responsibility to promote indigenous handlooms. Exhibition will conclude on August 24