Sinchita Parbat

Sharmila Joshi

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Santipur city in Nadia district of West Bengal is located approximately 90 kilometres from Kolkata. The city and its neighbouring towns have for long been renowned for their soft and fine handloom saris.
 The demand for handloom fabric in India as well as in other countries remains significant. But because of competition from powerlooms and falling incomes, among other factors, skilled weavers across the country have been struggling to survive for years. Many in Santipur too have abandoned their looms and migrated in search of other livelihoods.
 The handloom sarees woven in Nadia district of West Bengal are known as Santipuri sarees. Thousands of handloom clusters in the Santipur-Fulia region make Santipuri tant, tangail, and jamdani handloom sarees in a variety of yarns like cotton, tussar and silk.

This video and story were done as part of Sinchita Maji&#39;s 2015-16 PARI fellowship.

Threadbare in Santipur

शांतिपुर में डूबता बुनकरों का सूरज

ଶାନ୍ତିପୁରର ଜୀର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଶାଢ଼ି

शांतीपूरचे निसटते धागे

শান্তিপুৰত ছিগো ছিগো সুঁতাবোৰ

Santipur

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Threadbare in Santipur

The handloom weavers of Santipur in West Bengal’s Nadia district have been pushed into a corner by powerlooms and declining incomes – many have left the looms, others are in constant debt

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