The sari as living heritagea new generation of textile enthusiasts is taking the popularity of the garment beyond Instagram hashtags to explore its archival value

Coimbatore’s 100-year-old Lakshmi Mills—one of the oldest textile mills in one of the biggest textile hubs in India—is now fully mechanized. The amount of yarn and cloth produced here is no longer measured in units of length, but units of weight—in quintals and tonnes instead of metres. Yet, from 20-27 January, a 30,000 sq. ft hall inside the mill’s compound will be given over to the display and study of handspun, handwoven cotton cloth. A week-long exhibition and conference organized by the Bengaluru-based Registry of Sarees, a resource and study centre for Indian textiles, will be held here. Titled Meanings, Metaphors, the event will showcase 108 Khadi saris and fabric swatches from a unique collection commissioned by the late textile historian, revivalist and conservationist Martand Singh for his Vishwakarma series of exhibitions that travelled the world between 1982-92.

The showcase will be accompanied by talks, discussions and workshops on handloom and weaving. It will also touch upon the dynamics between the so-called rivals, handlooms and power looms, and the need for both to coexist. The show, which was first held in November at a major weaving cluster in Chirala, Andhra Pradesh, will move to Bengaluru later this year....Read more

Source web page: Livemint