Maheshwar Handloom— Art Revolution by Ahilya Bai.

Maheshwar is a town located on the bank of river Narmada in the Dhar District of Madhya Pradesh. Maheshwar handloom is among one of India’s well-known handcrafted textiles loved for its fineness, comfort, delicacy, and sophistication.

Maheshwari textiles were spun by expert artisans that Queen Ahilyabai Holkar brought from Varanasi, Hyderabad, and Surat to weave sarees which are traditional, unique and ethnic. These weavers follow the designs that are inscribed on the walls of Ahilya Fort. Interestingly, the handloom operations that were carried out in the 18th century are still carried out today by using natural fibers. Even today these designs can be found on the borders of Maheshwari sarees.

Maheshwar Cluster has more than 4500 artisans, producing traditional products for generations. Handloom industry in Maheshwar employs people from various castes and religions, including Kshatriyas, Bharuds, Muslims, Kumhars, and Kahars. This cluster is concentrated on handloom products like Sarees, Stoles, Dress Materials & Shirts. Products used for home decorations such as curtains and cushion covers are also found in this cluster

Artisan Weaving Maheshwari Saree

During my visit, I met Mulchand Shravanekar, an artisan and a proud owner of Purnima Laghu Hasthkargha in Maheshwar. He owns a Family Business along with his brothers. He has a workshop with looms where other weavers can come to work. It was fascinating to learn and hear about the methods of working in the cluster. During my days at Maheshwar, I found out that each household is associated with Handloom sector. The cluster also has more than 25 SHGs. Currently, there are also 2 male groups who produce the Maheshwar Handicrafts and sell it outside. Women artisans, after their household chores, are seen to contribute significantly to the handloom sector of Maheshwar. Mostly these women work on the loom during the weaving process. This is also a good source of income for them.

Shri Mulchand Shravanekar weaving on Handloom

Artisans are earning 1000–1500 per week. A typical Maheshwari saree takes 2–3 days to create. There are also big producers in this cluster who provide raw materials; such as Looms which gets installed in Weavers’ home and other financial help to artisans. Many producers also have a workshop area where they can come and work. These handmade beautiful sarees cost ranges from 1500–10000 INR. Some of the leading brands and companies are customers of this cluster.

The raw material for Maheshwar handloom is mainly cotton, silk, and zari (golden wire), which comes from different parts of the country. There are various tools used in Maheshwar Handloom like Taana and Warp Machine, Pit Looms, Frame looms. Chakras are used for making the rolls of thread and Dyeing Apparatus which mainly include various types of dyes and tubs where the dyeing is carried out.

There is a competitive environment within clusters and producers. Handloom product sellers and other Brands from outside are taking advantage of this and buying products at a low price due to which artisans are not getting a fair price for their products. Maheshwar cluster has challenges like Marketing, Lack of credit availabilities, Institutional inefficiencies, lack of creativity & innovation in the design, unorganized nature of the industry, and a steady reduction in the number of Weavers. There are lots of potentials for this cluster if a brand or marketer can work along with these artisans providing them the knowledge and know-how to access the foreign market. Also, with proper training the potential for Maheswari handicrafts is unlimited. This will strengthen the work of artisans and make their business more sustainable.