Bengaluru: Ilkal is a small town in the Bagalkot district of North Karnataka famous for its eponymous handloom sarees.
A saree is a traditional Indian drape worn by women and an Ilkal Saree is unlike any woven in India. It is distinctive in its length, design and composition. A pure silk Ilkal saree requires up to a week of sheer skill and finesse to complete, with several pairs of hands lending their dexterity at various stages.
This heritage handloom product comes in a range of yarn, including a combination of cotton and artificial silk, cotton-silk-artificial silk and pure silk.
Unique in the way it is produced, a cotton-silk combination will have a pure cotton body and artificial silk (made of bamboo and also called chamki) pallu. But, the most fascinating detail of the Ilkal handloom is the joining of the wefts of the saree’s body with the saree’s pallu.
Knotty Business
A pallu is the part of the saree that covers the head and in the Ilkal saree, the pallus usually come in the trademark red and silver design.
This technique of joining the body and the pallu by interlocking a series of loops is known as Jodni in the local Deccani language or Kechu in Kannada. This is unique to the Ilkal handloom tradition and not found in anywhere else in India.
The deft task is exclusively performed by the women of Ilkal’s traditional handloom households, just like Shankaravva, who has been in this profession since her childhood.
A master artisan with skills to single-handedly produce a saree, handling all aspects of the craft, Shankaravva is specially adept at knotting together the pallu and the body.
“I have lost count of how many sarees I have put together. This is what I have been doing since I can remember. Producing an Ilkal saree is not just about weaving, there are many other aspects to it such as making of the borders that come in four types, pallus, spinning the yarn etc. Traditionally women do the joining part as it’s a delicate job and with nimble fingers we are good at it,” said Shankaravva, 66.
Fading Rhythm
Popular with the women of southern Maharashtra and Northern Karnataka, Ilkal sarees have recently become a fashion statement among some Indian celebrities.
Though, mainly produced in the town of Ilkal, the villages surrounding the town also contribute significantly to the overall production of these sarees.
However, despite some attempts at the revival, the rhythm of Ilkal’s pit looms has somewhat dimmed over the last decade, overpowered by the noisy din of modern powerloom machinery.
Upholding more than 1,200 years of handloom tradition, one of India’s oldest, Ilkal’s weavers are facing a steady decline.
The number of handloom units in the town has gone down from around 40,000 in 2009 to around 29,000 currently. Whereas the powerloom units have grown from 60,000 to 120,000 during the same period.
“My family has been in this business for around 200 years. I am the sixth generation weaver. This house, which is also my workshop, is more than 100 years old. I inherited this from my father and he from his father. This is the only craft I know and there are hundreds of handloom weavers like me, who know nothing else. We are struggling to compete with the machines that are eating into our business,” said Hussain Kumatgi, a handloom weaver and owner of a handloom weaving unit.
Kumatgi operates five handloom pits, employing four other weavers, yet with the rising cost of raw material and stiff competition from the powerloom factories, his profit margin has drastically dropped.
“The competition has been tough over the last two decades as the powerloom industry has gained strength. They have the money and power, the powerloom is destroying the traditional craft of Ilkal. More weavers are leaving the craft because the income is so low. I have five looms, yet I cannot save more than Rs5,000 monthly through my work,” added Kumatgi.
Wearing thin
However, in 2006, the heritage craft received the Geographical Indication tag from the government, which offers native crafts protection from competition and exclusivity in sales and marketing.
But, according to the weavers the GI Tag certification hasn’t yet translated into an increased business.
“Where is the business? Where are the benefits? Our work has been in a steady decline for years now and we haven’t got any support from any quarters. Nothing has changed for us over the last several decades. They say the country is progressing but our industry is crumbling,” said Vishwanath, who has been weaving for 65 years.
The 81-year-old is among the rare breed of weavers who can produce a saree a day, yet he can hardly make Rs7,000 per month.
“I have been weaving a saree a day since I was a 15-year-old boy. All these years, my life hasn’t changed even a little bit. What sort of a life can anybody weave with just Rs220 per day? I am not young anymore, age is catching up, my joints are creaking just like this old loom. I can still manage to weave with whatever strength I have, I love doing this work and what else can I do to survive?” lamented Vishwanath, the grand old weaver of Ilkal.
Adding to the woes of handloom weavers is the increasing price of raw material, such as silk.
“Silk prices have suddenly shot up drastically. Usually there is a fluctuation of around 500 Rupees, but this time there is a massive increase. Until recently we used to buy the silk yarn for Rs6,000 per kg, now it is selling at Rs8,500 per kg. We can’t absorb such a steep rise. I had to increase the price of the silk saree by Rs150, which is a big hike at the production level and affects our business,” said the 44-year-old Kumatgi.
Though, comparatively expensive - ranging from Rs1,300 to Rs50,000 (pure silk with golden threading) - the handloom sarees are better in quality, longer lasting and have a finer feel.
There is also a steady demand for handloom sarees, but with tight margins and cheaper powerloom alternatives that on many occasions are sold as handloom to gullible buyers, an increasing number of weavers are forced to give up their traditional jobs and look for better paying alternatives.
With every inch surrendered by the handloom weavers, the mass producing powerloom machineries are not only gobbling up the livelihood of thousands but also obliterating another age old Indian tradition!
