Watch: how weavers of kanjeevaram sarees keep tradition alive

Watch: how weavers of kanjeevaram sarees keep tradition alive


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B Krishnamoorthy is a national award winning weaver, three generations of whose family have been in the profession. However, now only his cousin carries on the tradition besides him. As of


October 2015, Krishnamoorthy had woven 5,000 designs without repeating a single one and maintains a patchwork of these designs on a tapestry, which he hopes will serve as a reference for


future generations. Having dedicated four decades to the Kanjeevaram, Krishnamoorthy had told Amrutha Varshini of _The New Indian Express_ that these designs are scarce and that he has seen


“many weaves, designs and colours fall through the cracks and slip away” over the years. However, the video doesn’t talk about the socio-economic divide that exists between the weavers and


those who buy their products. According to Mrinal Pande’s article on _scroll.in_, 55 percent of weavers’ families in India, including those in Kanchipuram, continue to live below the poverty


line. It also highlights the gender bias that exists in the handloom industry, despite the fact that they make up over 70 percent of the workers.