At the Crafts Council of India’s annual textile show Tari- The Loom, set to take place in Chennai on April 10 and 11, every sari, and piece of fabric spotlights a story: one that elaborates on craftsmanship, artistry, skill, and even history. 

Established in 1964 by social activist and freedom fighter Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, the Crafts Council of India (CCI), a voluntary, not-for-profit NGO has made it their mission over the last 60 years, to preserve and promote India’s many handlooms and handicrafts. At Tari, the spotlight will be on the sari, with weaves that include rare eri silks from Assam, khadi mul, batik, bandhani, and ajrakh. Also a part of the textile show are shawls, stoles, dupattas and fabrics. 

This year, 31 designers and brands from across the country, including many who have been returning to Chennai for over 15 years to showcase their work, will be participating.  

Shripal Shah of Asal, who has been coming to Chennai from Gujarat for the last 12 years says their collection includes fabrics made of yarn handspun on a traditional charkha which runs on a single spindle. “This fabric is ideal for summer, and we have shirts, kurtas and jackets. We are also bringing the brand’s signature non-violent silk saris [Ahimsa silk] and matka silk saris,” he says.

While their lightweight bandhani saris and scarves have always enjoyed a steady reception in Chennai over the last 15 years, Abdul Jabbar Khatri, co-founder, Sidr Craft from Bhuj says that bandhani’s similarity to Tamil Nadu’s sungudi, both made using traditional tie-and-dye techniques is another aspect that always comes in for appreciation. Pracheen, a handblock printing unit in Mumbai which eschews synthetic dyes and chemicals and uses natural colours from plants, roots and herbs, will showcase craft printing on silk and cotton saris, dupattas and stoles, says Sarfraz Ahmed, CEO. 

For Rajeswari Sengupta and Madhumita Sengupta, founders of Kolkata-based The Far East Art Studio, museums across the world provide a fascinating insight into textile traditions and history. 

“We work on Dhakai jamdanis and baluchari weaves and over the years, have studied and remade designs from the 19th Century which were developed under the patronage of nawabs as trade textiles. The collection we are showcasing at Tari includes a Dhakhai jamdani we have reimagined and recreated based on a sari we saw at the Indian Museum in Kolkata. It took two weavers 10 months to weave,” she says. 

Other participants include Okkiyo, a Santiniketan-based sustainable fashion initiative showcasing handspun khadi, eri, mulberry and matka with natural dyes; Radha Krishna Handloom from Telangana which specialises in naturally-dyed double ikkat saris; KaleNele, which focusses on the revival of khunn and ilkal weaving techniques and kasuti embroidery from Karnataka, and Gamthiwala which has Maheshwari, linen, mulmul khadi cotton and Chanderi saris. 

Tari — The Loom by Crafts Council of India will be held on April 10 and 11 from 10am to 8pm at WelcomHotel by ITC (formerly known as Chola Sheraton), Cathedral Road.