Every year, National Handloom Day is celebrated on August 7 in India to celebrate the humble yet skilful artists who weave magic with threads, and bring stories and motifs from their mind to the cloth through their careful patterns. Originally worn by women of the Kunbi and Gawda tribes, the Kunbi saree is deeply rooted in the culture of Goa. The simple, yet brightly coloured Kunbi saree worn by the women of the tribe are also commonly known for being paddy field workers and being involved in work closer to nature. Worn short above ankles with a knot over the shoulder, it gives freedom to the Kunbi workers to carry on with their daily chores and hard field work. The fabric is eco-friendly, pest resistant and has a beautiful texture with natural colors.
With a push to promote handloom weaving, many young women are finding the material comfortable and unique. Archaeologist Sawani Shetye has travelled to many states of India and one of her passions is collecting different sarees. “Handloom sarees survive for generations. We are used to mass produced goods but these handloom sarees are made step by step with a lot of patience as each thread is lined and each square is meticulously made by hand. It can have errors too but that is what makes it unique and shine on its own. Each artist works on one piece and the same design won’t be repeated for the next saree. I still have some of my mother’s sarees but they are semi-hand loomed and from places like Belgaum and Surat as there were no handlooms in Goa then,” says Sawani.
Speaking about her collection, Sawani says, “I have been collecting handloom sarees as they are natural fabrics. Each state has their own fabric which is suitable to that weather. I have sarees from nearly 8-10 states including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, West Bengal and Kerala.” Sawani had also conducted a Handloom trail to Pernem just a week before the Covid lockdown in 2020 and since then, she feels that the Kunbi fabric has picked up with market driven awareness. The simple saree design is now being incorporated in different forms of clothing including shawls and jackets for state dignitaries.
Along with Goa Sudharop, a volunteer non-profit organization based in California since 2000, fashion designer Verma D’Mello installed the 'Goan Kunbi Weaving Loom', a handloom that specializes in the weaving of the Kunbi fabric at Orlim. She has been closely working with young girls and women to motivate them and empower them with skills in handloom weaving. She believes that the Kunbi saree is the cultural pride of Goa.
“The demand and supply for the Kunbi saree has increased dramatically in the last couple of years and we can produce hundreds of sarees now. Earlier, only 40 people used to get employment and now more than 400 people are surviving on Kunbi's business. We hardly could produce a few sarees in a month but in last year, we produced many bags, shawls and goodies for G20 and other events for international delegates. The number of looms in Goa have increased as people have more awareness on Kunbi sarees and weaving. There are many schools and colleges from different states that are visiting the weaving center and attending the workshops. Tribal women got confidence in making small accessories with Kunbi designs in larger quantities and also many creative designs are being explored for furnishing, interior decor etc. Within the last year, a new Kunbi store was established in California with the help of NRI Goans. It has got quite a lot of international recognition that an award has been announced recognising my work at an international platform,” says Verma.
Samiksha Palyekar, a master weaver from Corgao, Pernem, found the handloom machine fascinating as a young girl. She took interest in learning how to operate it and through a one year handloom course almost nine years back, she is now guiding other women to learn the art. She trains women in almost every village and she is optimistic about the future of the Kunbi weave. “We design bed sheets, shawls, towels, table mats, floor mats and sarees at these centres. Handloom weaving is a step by step process and it is not easy to understand. We have a one month orientation programme and through that we can understand which students will continue with the art. There is theory as well as practical classes to learn about weaving. Through my classes, I gained confidence to conduct demonstrations and I even had demonstrations at the G20 in Goa and even at the opening of Mopa Airport,” says Samiksha.
Originally from Assam and married in Goa, Akashi Deka Pissurlenkar is a textile technology expert, who loves working with Goan Kunbi weaves. She experienced that the market for Kunbi weave has grown exponentially and she always keeps a stock of 100 sarees and shawls ready in case of a bulk order. “Since setting up a handloom machine requires a lot of space, I work on my designs here in Goa and then travel back to my maternal home in Assam where I work on the design card, have the threads coloured and work on the entire set-up for the weave.
Once this is done, the weavers can work on it and send me the finished product in Goa. A plain saree without any design can be completed within a day while intricate patterns require at least 3-4 days. These are pure cotton sarees and there is a great demand for them. I have my own Instagram pages which helps me reach out to a wider audience. I receive orders from outside the state too,” explains Akashi, who started working on the Kunbi weaves in 2016.
As every handloom fabric tells a story of the rich cultural heritage, it is important to wear handlooms with pride with hopes that the legacy of handloom weaving continues to thrive in the future.