pritom ghosh
Weavers of Maheshwar
Handloom weaving in Maheshwar has an ancient history dating back to some 1500 years. This tradition owes its resurgence to Maharani Ahilya bai Holkar , who ruled Maheswar , Indore state from 1765 to 1795 and under whose patronage the weavers prospered.
The weavers from Surat, Varanasi and Chennai were invited by the queen under royal patronage and settled them at Maheshwar, a small town on the banks of river Narmada in Madhya Pradesh. They were also supported by wealthy local families who promoted the fine textiles.
As the royal patronage diminished with the passage of time the weaver’s income diminished as they were unable to find new markets. In response to the need to revitalize the weaving tradition of Maheshwar the heirs of the royal Holkar family established Rehwa society in 1979 -a not for profit organization , with grant from central welfare board . Most of the weavers were women, many from very different socio economic backgrounds (widows , abandoned wives & single income earners ) .
Weavers of Maheshwar
Handloom weaving in Maheshwar has an ancient history dating back to some 1500 years. This tradition owes its resurgence to Maharani Ahilya bai Holkar , who ruled Maheswar , Indore state from 1765 to 1795 and under whose patronage the weavers prospered.
The weavers from Surat, Varanasi and Chennai were invited by the queen under royal patronage and settled them at Maheshwar, a small town on the banks of river Narmada in Madhya Pradesh. They were also supported by wealthy local families who promoted the fine textiles.
As the royal patronage diminished with the passage of time the weaver’s income diminished as they were unable to find new markets. In response to the need to revitalize the weaving tradition of Maheshwar the heirs of the royal Holkar family established Rehwa society in 1979 -a not for profit organization , with grant from central welfare board . Most of the weavers were women, many from very different socio economic backgrounds (widows , abandoned wives & single income earners ) .