“Handloom weaving is better than power loom weaving” said Mr. Ganganna, "but it is hard work and often tedious. Getting laborers and weavers is difficult, even if he is ready to pay their wages in advance."
In addition, making a saree is time-consuming. In Mr. Ganganna’s business, a saree takes 3 days to build and consists of approximately 8,000 to 10,000 strands of silk. Each individual thread is literally glued together to support the creation of the six-meter fabric by one woman, Mrs. Shankaramma.
Most weavers work morning to night and work in very close quarters. Eye strain, hand and body pain are the norm. Mr. Ganganna still runs the family business but has given up weaving because he can no longer see the details.
“At one time, I felt very proud to do this work, but now when we take our sarees to market, there is no value for what we have done” said Mr. Ganganna. “It makes me feel bad.”
As the consumer demand for new designs has increased, the market advantage goes to the power loom businesses where computers help weavers to create new patterns and variety. According to Mr. Ganganna, “In hand loom, there aren’t any new designs that will come in the future”.
Mr. Ganganna’s dream? “We want our grandchildren to study. We won’t teach them this work.” Mr. Ganganna is close to retiring and wants his children to do something else. “I taught them this work but there isn’t much value for this job.
For marriage, no one will give their girl to a weaver because there isn’t a proper income. There is no future in this work; maybe it will last 30-50 years – but even now there are no weavers to do it. Prosperity only comes to the middle men. They sell for much higher than what they pay the weaver. I charge 500 rupees for a plain saree and it takes me three days. At the most, we can weave two sarees in a week. Only the wholesaler and the retailer make good money. A middle man sells our saree for 2,500 rupees – if it is first quality. No benefit comes to the weaver.”