Indoctrinated to revere Khadi as the symbol of resistance, we worship a fabric we don’t buy. An exhibition-symposium opens in the city to answer uncomfortable questions, reveal beauteous innovations, and cheer the lot determined to make it rock A bobbin winder at work in her home. In the process, hank yarn is mounted on a bamboo frame and wound onto cylindrical bobbins by turning the charkha. A decentralised activity, spinning is usually done by women, and especially in times of economic crisis, can prove to be a critical additional source of income for rural households. Pic courtesy/Swadheen We have hijacked Savitha Suri. On a Tuesday afternoon when she should’ve been at Nariman Point’s Kamalnayan Bajaj Hall & Art Gallery delivering the coup de grâce to a three-day symposium-exhibition on Khadi, she is roaming the alleys of Parel,...

An introduction The still but shifty silence of the classroom was a space that wove more than academic principles in the minds of students at “Half -Time School”, Mogulkuangaon, in the deep interiors of Bihar. At precisely half-time, the rustic bell gonged, and out poured children who, under the diligent tutelage of Ramnandan Sir, their then Bunai Master, headed to the loom to learn the basics of weaving. Little did one child in this batch know just how impactful his lessons from both Half-Time School and his father, Hari Tanti, would be, as calendar years swept by. This child was none other than Kapil Dev ji, the force behind the Weaver’s Cooperative Society, Nalanda, who today,is a prominent figure in embellishing Bihar’s textile heritage with an art and skill that was once patronized heavily by rich landlords...

Bun.Kar Bihar is the commercial retail brand of Srijani Foundation, based in Patna, Bihar. Synonymous with handloom creations that are socially inclusive, the brand focuses on reviving lost pieces of Bihar’s heritage via textiles. Founded by Veena Upadhyay and supported by amit and richard of amrich:along with her team of exclusive kisaan charkha spinners,weavers and embroiderers,Bun.Kar Bihar brings to the world a vivid and stunning collection of saris, fabrics, and other wearables. Bun.Kar Bihar presents ‘Sanghamitra’ at Vasutra; elegant collection of pure silk, cotton, silk-cotton hand spun and hand woven wearables. We invite you to immerse yourself in this experience of purity, simplicity yet grace, and calm connectedness of this collection that ties the beautiful fabric of Buddhism together. The products are exclusively woven in the Buddhist Nalanda belt of Bihar and bring forth all that...