In India, the traditional weaving of Varanasi saris is hanging by a thread

For centuries, the silk saris of Varanasi, a Hindu pilgrimage town bordering the sacred Ganges river in Uttar Pradesh (north), have been renowned for the quality of their fabrics and the complexity of their patterns.

But competition from cheap Chinese goods, mechanical looms and the slow recovery from the coronavirus are threatening this know-how.

Mohammad Sirajuddin is one of the last weavers in Varanasi to resist electric looms, which are faster and less strenuous to use.

"If you walk around the neighborhood, you'll see it's the only house with a handloom," the 65-year-old told AFP in the workshop where he lives, "but it won't last as long as I will be alive. Afterwards, no one in this house will succeed me".

Traditional weaving of a sari on a handloom in a workshop in Varanasi, November 20, 2021 in India Money SHARMA AFP

"Drudgery"

"Weaving on a hand loom requires a lot of work, the process is quite painful", continues the weaver.

A sari designed by Mr. Sirajuddin, adorned with a border of golden "zari" (thread) and a floral pattern, will sell for the tidy sum of 30,000 rupees (390 dollars), but after the discounts granted to intermediaries and the deduction of manufacturing costs, he will struggle to pocket a profit.

Traditional weaving of a sari on a handloom in a workshop in Varanasi, November 20, 2021 in India Money SHARMA AFP

"It takes days to design a sari," says the man with the wrinkled forehead, "considering the drudgery of the work involved in making a sari, the benefit is negligible."

A sari made on a mechanical loom generally costs between 5,000 and 10,000 rupees (130 dollars) but the quality of the silk thread is lower and flashier.

The traditional Varanasi sari is highly sought after by future Indian brides which is usually passed down from generation to generation in the family heirloom.

Traditional weaving of a sari on a handloom in a workshop in Varanasi, November 20, 2021 in India Money SHARMA AFP

Jaya Jaitly, author of the book "Woven Textiles of Varanasi", blames mechanization and the influx of Chinese counterfeits for damaging traditional Varanasi sarees.

Plague of Chinese copies

"They (the Chinese) have been copying Vanarasi sarees for quite some time. China has taken over Banarasi, its trade and production of sarees," she told AFP.

According to her, after India's economic liberalization in the 1990s, Chinese goods clashed with domestic silk production.

Weaving a sari on a mechanical loom in a workshop in Varanasi, November 20, 2021 in India Money SHARMA AFP

"Chinese yarn and fabric have taken over everything. All of our once flourishing (silk) industries have been wiped out by mechanization and even more so by Chinese competition and their ability to produce huge quantities at very low prices."

In Jaya Jaitly's eyes, it is the government's responsibility to implement weaver-friendly policies and make sourcing raw materials simple and cheaper.

"Traditional weaving must be supported, we (India) have more varieties of hand weaving, techniques, skills and skilled labor than anywhere else in the world," she said. "It is truly a tradition of which we can be proud".

If the wealthy clientele of connoisseurs continues to seek the artisanal saris of the vintage, it tends however to become scarce in the current post-pandemic economic context.

A seller shows traditional saris in a shop in Varanasi, November 20, 2021 in India Money SHARMA AFP

Economists say the pandemic has led to higher costs of living, lower demand, job losses, inflation, and the outlook for recovery remains bleak.

"Weavers are suffering a lot. They don't get the right price for their products and payments are late," Mohammad Shahid, a 33-year-old trader from Varanasi, told AFP.

Mr. Shahid, however, is hopeful that handloom weaving will survive these myriad challenges.

A seller shows traditional saris in a shop in Varanasi, November 20, 2021 in India Money SHARMA AFP

"Those who know the value of hand weaving will continue to buy and cherish our saris", he wants to believe, "traditional looms will be used less but they will never disappear".

© 2022 AFP