A 3 hour drive on NH 34 from kolkata takes you to the handloom capital of West Bengal, which is the district of Nadia. The 2 dominant weaving clusters of Phulia and Shantipur in the district, are homes to several handloom weaver establishments, incredibly skilled craftspeople and some exquisite hand made sarees. A major apparel hub and visited by business people from across the world, you will find the local people here to be extremely hospitable and helpful. The saree handloom weaving style here has linkages to a place named Tangail in Bangladesh. Tangail and Jamdani are two weaving styles often difficult to differentiate. The difference is like Scotch and Whiskey. Jamdani sarees are made everywhere, but tangail sarees are made in Tangail. Though Phulia has developed it's own 'Phulia Tangail', sarees in vibrant colors woven in double jacquard, the speciality being the intricate small booties.
The drive to the cluster is even more beautiful. You will find several happy mustard fields along side popping up now and then spreading cheer and reminding you of how beautiful nature is. The mustard crop is harvested between February and March every year and in January the fields are in full bloom.
The handloom weavers in this cluster earn about Rs. 300 /- a day (paid weekly) and it takes about 8 to 10 days to weave the designs that we have. Often there are less expensive powerloom products that are sold in the guise of being made on a handloom. Do make a conscious effort to find out more about what you are buying. Buy a handmade product and support the livelihood of a crafts person.
Be Elegant, Buy Sensible, Stay Rooted!
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