Watch: Maheshwar handloom saree weavers get creative to boost Covid vaccination
In a creative attempt to highlight how the Maheshwar handloom weavers are suffering because of the coronavirus pandemic and also to promote their craft, Maheshwari weavers are encouraging vaccination using their stunning and colourful handloom sarees. See video...
The coronavirus pandemic upended the world in the past two years, and among those worse affected were small businesses, and in India the handloom industries faced a very severe brunt when the Covid-19 pandemic forced lockdowns across India, putting a stop to the means of livelihoods of many households. Among these were the weavers of the famed Maheshwari sarees of Madhya Pradesh. The weavers come from Maheshwar, which is a small town in Madhya Pradesh and is not only famous for the stunning and colourful handloom creations that come from here but is also considered to be the centre of handloom weaving since the 5th century.
In a creative attempt to bring more awareness about their plight as well as to promote their craft, Maheshwari weavers along with Ahilya Community Service Club are encouraging vaccination in hopes of bringing an end to the deadly pandemic. The weavers got together at Ahilya Ghat, near Maheshwar fort, and used their stunning and colourful Maheshwari handloom sarees and wrote, “Covid-19 Vaccinate Yourself.”
In the video shared by the Twitter and Instagram handle of Madhya Pradesh Tourism, one can see the glistening water of river Narmada as the text on the screen explains, "Maheshwar, like many small towns in India has been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. People were lost, families were broken, and Maheshwar's famous handlooms fell silent. But now the weavers of Maheshwar have come together with a message of hope."
We then see a female weaver carrying beautiful sarees along the picturesque Ahilya Ghat. She expresses her ordeal, like that of many weavers. Here is the English translation of what she says: “Most people of Maheshwar primarily depend on the handloom industry. The impact [of the pandemic] has been such that a household with two-income providers found it difficult to put food on the table. There came a time when all our savings were exhausted and we faced many hardships,” a weaver said in a video shared by Madhya Pradesh Tourism.
Another Maheshwari weaver explains the difficult situation the pandemic has created for these weavers, sharing, “There is no other source of income in Maheshwar apart from handloom weaving. If tourists do not come and buy our woven textiles and saris then we won’t have enough work.”
While one weaver hopefully expresses, “We hope to spread the message that everybody should get themselves vaccinated and defeat the pandemic and get back to their normal lives, so that the handloom business, which was shut down, can be resumed smoothly and successfully once again.”