This is a series of articles dedicated to the Traditional Kullu Shawl Weaving industry. The art of weaving is a part of the Kullu tradition and pride. Many here believe this art would die with the turn of the generation as it is no longer considered lucrative by the locals here. In our efforts to revive this industry we present a hotchpotch of views, ideas, opinions, facts and ground realities.
An Eye-opener for Tourists
For tourists from across the globe, the hilly terrain of Manali-Shimla is a shoppers’ paradise for woollens. Little are these tourists aware that the heart of the weaving industry is in the small town of Kullu, 40Kms away from Manali. As one enters this scenic valley, colourful traditional Kullu shawls dot the sideways of every market street and huge signboards on tiny shops flash ‘Traditional Kullu Shawls.’ This is bait to the blind crocodile. Many of these shawls are not even handcrafted let alone the fact that these are sourced from other towns in the country.
Is it that one doesn’t care enough to make an informed decision while buying or is it that one fails to see the value in a handcrafted product? I am afraid it’s both. On the one hand the tourists have little or no time on their itinerary to walk to a local store and are always directed by their travel guides or the local rickshaw drivers and cabbies to one of the numerous bogus shops that sell machine made shawls at hefty discounts that are as high as 50%. A setup of a few handlooms in the periphery of the store serve as perfect alibi to sell the machine made shawls. While the tourist walks out of the store with discounted shawls, the local guide walks away with his share of commission, thus making this whole act of money making a farce in the name of tourism.
On the other hand, as consumers we fail to recognize the value of a handcrafted product. The value of art does not reside in the price we pay for it but in the efforts that have gone into making that masterpiece; that masterpiece which is born out of the dexterity of the weaver, his eye for weaving an intricate design from his own palette of colours, the long hours of adeptly crossing the warp and woof to create kaleidoscopic patterns on the fabric, and create designs which by no means can be replicated on a programmed machine that churns out a batch of immaculate shawls at the press of a machine in a couple of minutes while the weaver spends on an average four days to weave an elaborate design on his handloom. We must learn to appreciate the beauty of inherent imperfections in a handcrafted product that renders it its exclusivity. No price is too high to pay for unadulterated art, be it for the purity of the wool, the sanctity of the natural organic dyes or the simplicity and genuineness of the heart of the person who is making it.
To be a part of the campaign or to know about it visit us at http://himachal.us/category/save-the-weaver
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