Reviving a 150-yr-old weaving art

When Nupur Jain came to know about Sujani during a trip to Gujarat, the 150-year-old weaving art had few takers.

She started Sujani Looms in 2014, and is providing a new lease of life to an existing generation of weavers.

This is her story.

Two weavers sit at either end of the loom.

A shuttle of two colours is put in the warp threads with the aim of turning the warp and the weft.

The quilt starts taking shape during weaving, when spun cotton is added and woven into squares, giving it a padded look.

Unlike other quilts, it is not layered with cotton sheet nor are stitches made with hand or machine.

The weaving is called Sujani and reviving this dying art in Bharuch is 30-year-old Nupur Jain.

Through Sujani Looms, Nupur Jain is trying to ensure that the age-old art gets the recognition it deserves so it will inspire future generations of weavers to imbibe these skills to revive and popularise the craft.

Started in 2014, Sujani Looms is a home décor and lifestyle brand, which creates products by using the Sujani weaves in new forms and product range.

Sujani Looms

Nupur first came across the Sujani quilt during her stay in Bharuch in Gujarat and was mesmerised by the beauty and intricacy of the work.

"I feel that this is a unique art form which needs to be showcased to the world.

"The distinctive feature that attracted me was that the entire fabric is made on the loom. It does not require any additional stitching.

"After doing my research on this weave I found out that there are only 3 to 4 families left who have the knowledge of weaving, which will not last long, as the newer generations are not fascinated with this work as they rather earn their livelihood elsewhere," Nupur explains.

Nupur moved to Bharuch in June 2014, as her husband was setting up a fertiliser-manufacturing unit in Jhagadia GIDC.

Once she moved there she decided that she wanted to be involved in social work and was on a lookout for things to do. While researching she came across this craft and the journey of Sujani Looms began.

Origin of the art

Sujani originated in 1860 and enjoyed royal patronage and appreciation. Three families are involved in the craft: the Sujniwalas, the Chistiyas and Miya Mustafa’s family.

All the families are engaged in different activities; one is completely into production, the other into trading and the third is carrying out both simultaneously.

Nupur shares, "There is immense competition amongst the families, as each one of them claims to be the descendants of the originator of the craft. This craft has been the livelihood of this community for generations. Due to the new modern technology the value of handicrafts has deteriorated and people are now looking for lookalikes and cheaper products.

Carrying forward a legacy

"The knowledge passes on from one generation to the next with the faith that if the artisans take care of the craft, the craft will take care of the artisans. The craft has survived through the transition from first generation to the current fifth one," explains Nupur.