Handloom takes one on a voyage through the prosperous textile culture & tradition of India. It exists in the form of a common thread that runs through India's history, highlighting the spirits of resilience, freedom, self-reliance & growth. Ingrained in the warp & weft of the country's socio-cultural heritage, it provides an immersive experience. Handloom textile finds a special place in the folk tradition of various regions of our country & it in turn through its motifs reflects the customs of those regions. Each region of India bore witness to the evolution of its own textile tradition and formed a distinct identity for the production of unique variants of handloom fabrics.
While every nook & corner of the country is replete with the tales of its illustrious past, a glance at the current state of handloom in India and one is left rueing the contrast.
The power loom industry by introducing cotton mixed fabrics & synthetic materials has dealt a heavy blow to handloom. More products are churned out by the power looms at lower costs. What gets ignored though is the adverse effects of machine-made products on the human bodies & the environment. Stirred by the rapid decline in the handloom industry, Sumati & Pulkit Gogna conceptualized the genesis of their online enterprise BharatSthali in late 2017. Their vision was to revive this labor-intensive sector by bringing to the mainstream the varied local & regional handloom traditions. Pulkit elaborates, "Right at the inception of our company we got convinced of the need to educate people about the qualities that make handloom products stand out. Be it pattern, texture, design, or durability, handloom remains unparalleled. Further, the level of artistry & intricacies brought about by the devoted human hands conveniently trump the quality generated by the machines." Arduous research went into understanding the nuances of the industry as the couple dissected the length & breadth of the country to gain first-hand knowledge. Sumati & Pulkit summoned modern technology to be their ally in their mission to resurrect this traditional textile with a history that goes back thousands of years. A techie himself, Pulkit got down to building the company website. While the focus initially was on pure silk & kanjivaram sarees, encouraged by the brisk growth, the company soon diversified to include the supply of silk & pure linen fabric in its ambit.
Handloom at BharatSthali has now taken the shape of a pleasant amalgam of cultural heritage and modern aesthetics. Artisans inscribe an alluring union of their creativity & experiences on each of the products. They serve as an elegant reminder of our illustrious roots. Be it the simplicity & comfort of light & breezy cotton saree or the stiff majesty & timeless appeal of a lustrous Kanjivaram saree, the artisans at BharatSthali leave a stamp of their excellent craftsmanship on every product. A look at the company's website with its harmonious fusion of varied colors, vibrant splendor & self-assured elegance, and one gets acquainted with the enriching values that it endeavors to promote through its products. Sounds too stupendous to be true? Check it out for yourself then at bharatsthali.com
