“What we do is pure skilled work. We don’t use any machines to weave these pure handloom sarees. The uniqueness of our sarees lies in the smoothness with which they can get the design onto the fabric. The weaving of a Pochampally ikat saree takes one family, at least 4-5 days to weave. Before that, we also work with the yarn, and colours to get the saree ready to be weaved.

Earlier, I used to do only the pre-loom preparation work which is separating the threads, making the yarn and graphing before the saree weaving. However, with time, I have mastered the skill of handloom weaving on the loom and today, I am equally good at it along with my husband.

We work hard for little money. Both my husband and I work 8-10 hours a day to earn 18,000 per month. Our generation could perhaps be the last in this field. Even though I wish my children could learn our family profession, I will leave it to their choice of what their careers could be in the future. However, they always sit with me during holidays whenever I weave at home and they keenly observe every detail of the artwork.”

• Lavanya, Handloom Weaver from Jangaon, Telangana