Sambalpuri weaves are known across India for their intricate patterns and striking colours. Behind this centuries' old rich fabric tradition, are about 75,000 weavers' families spread across Western Odisha who put their sweat and blood in the signature saris and other clothes. Outlook visited some of these weavers to explore their work, struggles and demands.
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Follow us:
Website: https://www.outlookindia.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Outlookindia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outlookindia/
X: https://twitter.com/Outlookindia
Whatsapp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaNrF3v0AgWLA6OnJH0R
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OutlookMagazine
Dailymotion: https://www.dailymotion.com/outlookindia
#Sambalpuri #Weaves #SambalpuriWeaves #IndianHandloom #Odisha #Craft #WeaversOfIndia #HandwovenSarees #Textile #Tradition #ArtisanCommunity #Craftsmanship
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NewsTranscript
00:00It depends on the design of the saree.
00:02If the design is too much, it will take a long time to make it.
00:05Similarly, there is the cost.
00:07But according to the labourers, we are not able to get the right rate.
00:17My name is Subhash Chandra Mehej.
00:19I am 42 years old.
00:21What do you do?
00:23I am a weaver.
00:25I weave Sambalpuri sarees.
00:28Do you only make sarees?
00:30Or do you make other things as well?
00:32I make sarees.
00:34I make a different design from the shirt I am wearing.
00:42During Covid, when all the shops and markets were closed,
00:46we made masks.
00:50The message from the government
00:52was written on the masks.
00:55We made the masks.
01:01Did you get an order for this?
01:03Yes.
01:05Is this your traditional work?
01:07Yes.
01:09We have been doing this since our forefathers.
01:15How many families work in Sarkanda village?
01:19300 to 350 families.
01:21Do you know how many villages work in Bargarh district?
01:27In Bargarh district,
01:29there are around 85 to 90 villages.
01:33Not all the villages,
01:35but around 50 to 90 villages.
01:45The name Sambalpuri cotton
01:47or Sambalpuri design
01:50is spread in how many districts?
01:54Sambalpuri is spread in Sonpur,
01:56Sambalpur, Balangir
01:58and one or two districts
02:00of Chhattisgarh.
02:02How long have you been doing this work?
02:06I have been doing this since my childhood.
02:08Even if my children are not done with their studies,
02:10I make them do this work.
02:12Do your children also help you?
02:14Yes.
02:17You have been doing this work
02:19for at least 20 years.
02:21Yes.
02:23What has changed
02:25in the last 20 years?
02:29What is the same
02:31and what has changed
02:33in the traditional work
02:35that your forefathers used to do?
02:39More than 50% of things
02:41have changed.
02:44In the past,
02:46we used to make taans
02:48with our hands.
02:50Now, we use machines
02:52to make taans.
02:54We used to make
02:56bunai with our hands.
02:58Now, we use machines
03:00to make it.
03:02There are many changes
03:04that have taken place.
03:06Earlier, you used to make
03:08charkha with your hands.
03:10Now, we have charkha.
03:12Now, we use machines
03:14to make designs.
03:16What has changed
03:18economically?
03:20In other parts of the country,
03:22we have seen that the farmers
03:24are not able to compete
03:26with the power looms
03:28or they do not get
03:30their work done.
03:32What has changed
03:34economically
03:36in the Sambalpuri farmers
03:38in West Odisha?
03:41The power looms
03:43are following us.
03:45Because of our design,
03:47we are still left behind.
03:49We can make designs
03:51in every sari.
03:53Because of the design,
03:55the power looms
03:57are not able to compete with us.
03:59Still, they copy us
04:01and make printed saris
04:03which are sold
04:05at a low price in the market.
04:07The quality is not good
04:10and it breaks easily.
04:12It does not last long.
04:14That is the problem
04:16that we are facing.
04:18Our sari, which costs
04:206000-7000 rupees,
04:22is sold for only 300-400 rupees.
04:24Our Sambalpuri is being defamed.
04:26The government should also think
04:28about this.
04:30In Bargad district,
04:32Sambalpuri sari is sold
04:34for more than 15,000 rupees.
04:36If you add the four or five districts,
04:38it is sold for 45,000-50,000 rupees.
04:40The government
04:42is not concerned
04:44about our employment.
04:46How long does it take
04:48to make a sari?
04:50A sari takes
04:524-5 days
04:54to make
04:56according to the design.
04:58If it is a hard work,
05:00it takes
05:0215-20 days
05:04to make a sari.
05:07The cost of one sari
05:09is 1000-1200 rupees.
05:11Once you have
05:13designed a loom,
05:15you can make
05:17at least two saris.
05:19Yes, at least two saris.
05:21So, the cost of two saris
05:23is around 4000 rupees.
05:25The cost is
05:272500-3000 rupees.
05:29If we sell it,
05:31how much will it cost?
05:33It will cost
05:365000-6000 rupees
05:38according
05:40to the labor cost.
05:42It will take
05:44more days
05:46to make
05:48a sari
05:50according
05:52to the design of the sari.
05:54Similarly,
05:56the labor cost
05:58is less.
06:00Who decides
06:02the design?
06:05Do you design the sari
06:07or do the traders give you samples?
06:09We design the sari
06:11according to our needs.
06:13Some traders
06:15have less creativity.
06:17We give them samples.
06:19What do you think
06:21the government can do
06:23to improve the sari?
06:25If the government
06:27can improve the sari,
06:29they can send
06:31the sari to other states
06:33and help us
06:35financially
06:37as well.
06:39The sari is being given
06:41but it is not being used.
06:43The government
06:45is not buying it
06:47but the cooperative
06:49is buying it.
06:51The cooperative is not buying it
06:53but running it in the account.
06:55Some traders
06:57are running it in the name
06:59of the cooperative.
07:02There are 300-350 houses
07:04here.
07:06What is the percentage
07:08of the total production
07:10in the cooperative
07:12and in the open market?
07:14Right now,
07:16it is 100% in the open market.
07:18So,
07:20it is not as good
07:22as the government's showrooms?
07:24No.
07:26There are many showrooms
07:28in big cities
07:31but they are closing down.
07:33Yes, they are closing down.
07:43What do you do?
07:45I am a carpenter.
07:47How long have you been doing this?
07:53I have been doing this
07:55since 20 years.
07:57My grandfather
07:59and my father
08:01used to do this.
08:03What all do you do?
08:05I do sari,
08:07satin dress,
08:09etc.
08:11Where do you get
08:13your orders from?
08:15Sometimes,
08:17we get orders
08:19from the market.
08:23How long does it take
08:25to make a sari?
08:28It takes about
08:30a week
08:32to make a sari.
08:36How many saris
08:38do you make in one design?
08:40Two pieces.
08:42Where do you get
08:44the raw material from?
08:46We get it
08:48from the market
08:52and then
08:54we dye it.
08:57We dye it
08:59and work on it.
09:03How much does it cost?
09:07For two saris,
09:09I have to buy a suit.
09:11How much will it cost?
09:15It will cost
09:17about Rs. 5000.
09:21Do you dye it?
09:23Yes, we dye it.
09:26Do you buy the suit and dye it?
09:28Yes, we dye it.
09:34How much will you get
09:36from the market
09:38for the final sari?
09:40We get
09:42about Rs. 10,000.
09:44We sell it for Rs. 10,000
09:46and then we get
09:48Rs. 5000.
09:50Is this work
09:52the same throughout the year
09:54or is it less?
09:56It is less in the market
09:58so
10:00the income
10:02is not good
10:04because
10:06the profit is less.
10:10Do you know
10:12where this sari is sold?
10:14Is it sold in Odisha
10:16or is it exported?
10:18My father
10:20told me that he went to Delhi
10:23to sell it.
10:25My father
10:27went to Delhi
10:29to sell it.
10:31Has the government
10:33taken any step
10:35to support you?
10:37Do you know?
10:41We give
10:43this sari
10:45to the government.
10:49We have been working
10:52with the government
10:54for a long time
10:56and then we get it.
10:58Do you sell it
11:00in the open
11:02or through a cooperative?
11:04We sell it in the open.
11:06Are you satisfied with your work?
11:08Yes, I am.
11:10Will you employ the next generation
11:12in this work?
11:14I am a little worried.
11:16Will the children
11:18do this work or not?
11:21It is a problem.
11:25Are the design patterns
11:27that you used to make
11:29traditionally
11:31are you making them
11:33or is the new design
11:35changing in the market?
11:37The market needs
11:39a new design.
11:41The customers
11:43are asking
11:45for a new design.
11:47We make design based on
11:49and we get a lot of happiness from it.