Craft : CHANDERI WEAVING
Registered GI Tag : CHANDERI SAREES - HANDICRAFT, MADHYA PRADESH
About Chanderi
Chanderi is a small town in the Ashoknagar district of Madhya Pradesh. It is around 230 kilometers from Bhopal, the capital of the state. Chanderi is a town of looms. On an average, today there are more than 4352 looms in Chanderi which are owned by the artisans.
Chanderi silk is a brand name in the Indian garment market. Chanderi is a traditional ethnic fabric characterized by its lightweight, sheer texture and fine luxurious feel. Chanderi fabric is produced by weaving in silk and golden Zari in the traditional cotton yarn that result in the creation of the shimmering texture. In the year 1910, Chanderi sarees were patronized by the royal family of Scindia and it was during that period when golden thread motif made its presence in the cotton muslin saree. During the Mughal reign, popularity of this fabric reached new heights and was the most favoured choice of queens in India.
THE DYING CRAFT
It was the weavers of Dhaka who brought the fabric to Chanderi. The Industrial Revolution hit the craft hard. While Chanderi is woven traditionally with 300-count cotton, the British imported cheaper 120- to 200-count cotton from Manchester, which created a price difference and pushed Chanderi weaving into a cycle of unfair competition and poor wages. Not much changed after Independence as the handloom sector suffered from government apathy and the market catered to more commercially viable, cost-effective products woven on the power loom. Now, there is a consciousness about handloom, and the government, aided by designers, is trying to work on textile development to make it more fashionable and aspirational in order to save the dying crafts.
REBRANDING STRATEGY
To reposition Chanderi as a luxury woven fabric for the elite who like to go 'organic' and 'to the roots'.
