Goddess of the Loom

When you walk into this Durga puja pandal in Delhi’s Janakpuri,the first thing that catches your eye is a group of weavers working on a handloom,their arms moving in sync with the staccato beats of the shuttle and reed. If you continue to look long enough,you notice the pink and blue threads coming together to form the native Bengali weave called tant. With an aim to promote tant and showcase their homegrown,handwoven art up North,the group has come to the Capital from Shantipur village in West Bengal.

“We get around Rs 50 to 70 for each sari that we make on the handloom. They sell in the market for Rs 700. This is an opportunity for us to show people the kind of effort that goes into making a sari,” says Israfil Sheikh,a weaver brought to Delhi by artists Camellia Suman and Biswajit Das. The Delhi-based duo has been working towards weavers’ upliftment. “The chandelier,the archway and even Durga maa’s sari is made from tant,” adds Suman,glancing at the pandal decorated with tant fabric.

Along with the conventional food stalls,the pandal also has a photography exhibition on tant weaving by G Kaushik. Traditional hand-woven tant saris are also on sale,priced between Rs 700 to Rs 1,500.