“The Weavers and Potters of Azamgarh”

Weaving the Story of Our Weavers

The artisans and traditional weavers form the very backbone of India’s rich cultural art and heritage. They are known to be the nucleus of the Indian economy. Their traditional crafts are the source of their livelihoods.

As part of PRE-INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS, Salwan Public School, MV in collaboration with ITRHD (Indian Trust for Rural Heritage and Development) organized a craft demonstration and exhibition of renowned craftspeople- ‘The Weavers and Potters of Azamgarh’ on 4^th August, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the School premises.

The objective of the exhibition was to highlight how India’s craft practices can help balance the ecology of the planet while sustaining the country’s local livelihoods and meeting the millennium development goals.  It was a dedicated initiative, a special gesture to support and empower the indigenous craftsmen, weavers and rural artisans and to keep India’s rich cultural heritage alive.

The magic of the human hand cannot be matched with the most superior, cutting edge technological devices. The participating artisans showcased traditional art and handmade craftworks that was for sale too. There were around 12 artisans, weavers and potters, all from Azamgarh to weave stories of their own.  Over 1,000 visitors have visited the exhibition. Each purchase made by our parents and students gave the artist, the maker, the crafts person a confidence in their product, a chance to develop their skills further, and an opportunity to re-invest the money back to their business and carry on producing beautiful works of art. And not to forget, each customer who bought, was reminded of the hard-core toil, the intricate nuances of a human hand and mind entrenched in every piece of handmade product he owned. Each handi work was a labour of love, made painstakingly and carefully by hand, and as such, each commodity was wonderfully unique.  

,On display were innumerable handwoven products right from terracotta lamps, pitchers, flower vases, pots, clay toys and other attractive accessories to weave Benarsi saris, Silk apparels and fabric material from Mubarakpur and beautiful black pottery with silver work from Nizamabad area of Azamgarh district.

It was a sheer delight to witness, our parents and students taking a tour through the one of its own kind, an exhibition with a difference and learning about the traditional warp and weft of our rich weavers.