Thursday 1 December 2016

In Search of the Weavers of Khun.

Khun fabrics come in a variety of bright colours and patterns. 
Drive across the countryside in Maharashtra and north Karnataka and you will see beautiful rural women going about their daily work clad in beautiful Ilkal saris and a particular kind of self-designed bordered blouse made of the fabric called Khun, also called Khana in Karnataka.

While I did not get a perfect shot of a traditionally clad woman in a Khun blouse, I have taken this picture from this blog.
This beautiful woman with a big, bold bindi and stunning nose ring, called 'nath' has worn a khun blouse. Photo taken from here.
While my next post will be on the Ilkal sari weavers, in this post I will dwell upon Khun, which has come to be my favourite fabric. My associative memory with Khun has been with the bygone era in Maharashtra, which I haven’t experienced, but which has a particular sanctity seen through my urbanised eyes. Of women clad in bright saris, beautiful Khun blouses, wearing the crescent shaped bindi on their foreheads, bold women comfortable in their own skin.

My cook too wears Khun blouses on a daily basis, and while Pune markets are flooded with Khun fabrics, it is only last year that I decided that I must have Khun as part of my wardrobe. So I went on a Khun rampage and bought some meters of cloth in various colours, and got some sari blouses, crop tops and skirts stitched with them.
Wearing a Khun blouse with a Kalamkari saree for Durga puja.

Wearing a Khun crop top in Badami. Photo by Vaijayanti Chakravarthy.
Given our fast paced city lives, we seldom pause to ponder over the people who have contributed to making a piece of fabric and clothing. Even if the clothes are machine made, there are people who choose the colours, design the cloth, and operate the machines. And in the case of Khun, where it is still pre-dominantly handloom, I couldn’t help wondering about the people who created this beautiful fabric. In all the shops I enquired, the shop owners weren’t sure where it was made, guessing it may be in Kolhapur or in Karnataka. But I wanted a specific lead, so I could go and meet the weavers.

Wearing a Khun skirt and posing with journalist Shefali Vaidya.
Finally, in a seminar I attended, Shefali Vaidya, a noted journalist, who is also a Khun enthusiast told me it’s made in Guledgudda and soon after, a lady at a stall in a handloom exhibition gave me the contact number of the person from whom she sources the fabric.
The lanes of Guledgudda.
I immediately called up another friend, a long-time Khun lover asking if she could accompany me. Tickets were booked, leads were contacted and off we both went in search of Khun.
Sampath Rathi with khun and Ilkal saree. 
We first stopped at the home-cum-office of Sampath Rathi, who is a wholesaler of Khun and Ilkal sarees. His grandfather had migrated from Rajasthan to Guledgudda in 1924 and made this place his home. He has hundreds of weavers who buy the yarn from him and give back ready Khun and sarees and he charges a margin from the weavers. His cotton yarn mainly comes from Hindupur in Andhra Pradesh, silk yarn from Bangalore and artificial silk from Gujarat. So this works well for independent weavers who don’t have to get into logistics, but just buy whichever yarn they want and give him the ready cloth, which he then distributes and sells in various cities. 
You may also like my post on Handloom weavers of Bhujodi.
Khun comes in different materials and colours. 
Khun comes in combinations of silk and cotton, polyester and cotton and artificial silk and cotton. And in innumerable designs, motifs and patterns on the cloth.











A lady weaving Khun. 
I had read one of Shefali Vaidya’s posts, where she mentions that Khun is called so, because ‘khun’ means sugar and this is a fabric worn by women in the sugar cane belts in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Sampath gave me a more technical meaning. He said khun is a unit of measurement. Khun means half a meter, so two Khuns make a meter of cloth. So one roll of Khun cloth has 44 Khuns, i.e, 22 meters.


A hearty lunch at Sampath Rathi's home.
I asked him how old Khun is, when did it start?  In textile history there are stories of weavers migrating to other geographies, to escape oppression of invaders (that’s more likely in India due to the Islamic invasions), or to escape drought or famine, and then combining their own weaves with that of the weaves of the new place and forming a new one. Did anything like that happen with Khun weavers? He had no answer. He said this is the first time that someone had asked him this question and said that it is at least more than a 100 years old, based on general knowledge of the area.



Brothers, Motilal and Ambalal Ghanshyam Shah Chavan.

The dyes arranged on shelves. 

Un-dyed yarn.
What makes Khun unique is that it is the only fabric which is primarily made only for saree blouses, hence the original width of the fabric is 31 inches, although now weavers have increased the width to one meter.
We feasted our eyes on the numerous bright shades of Khun
and Ilkals and also bought some. 

To get this shade, they mixed, 100 gms red and 10 gms yellow. 


Getting ready to dip the yarn in the cauldron filled with dye. 
It was already 1 pm by then. Sampath casually said that after lunch in his home we could go and meet the dyers. I was filled with gratitude. He did not wait till we asked him where we could have lunch. We were just travelers who had stopped by to meet him and buy a few things. Yet, he asked us to join his family for lunch. When I thanked his father, he merely said, ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’, the ancient Indian belief and custom which means, “Treat guests as God”. That’s the spirit of India, which still thrives in the villages and warms my heart.


There it goes.


Wringing the yarn to remove water. 
After a hearty lunch, we visited the house of Motilal and Ambalal Ghanshyam Shah Chavan, brothers who are weavers as well as dyers. On the way to their house, we could hear the clickety-clack of handloom and well as power loom from the houses all around. They were in the process of dyeing yarn with bright red. They are the two out of the only five dyers left in the whole of Guledgudda. Their daughter promptly brought us some tea, and with their limited Hindi, they managed to explain the process of dyeing. Water is heated in a huge cauldron at a temperature of about 40 to 50 degrees Celsius. There were dye powders which are mixed to get the desired shade and colour. When we went they were dyeing a crimson red for which they mixed 10 gms turmeric yellow in 100 gms red dye. Interestingly the colour gets absorbed by the tarn and the water itself remains colorless. 
The steel dryer meant for yarn. 


How the yarn is separated to prevent it from getting entangled. 


Khun being made on a power loom.
The yarn is then hung on a steel rod and then dipped into the coloured water. It takes around 30 minutes for the colour to latch on to the yarn. After half hour, the yarn is squeezed and put in a dryer to quicken the drying. The dried yarn is then neatly combed and gathered together by hand to be used in a handloom or power loom. The Chavan brothers had a power loom running inside the house, so we went and took a look at it. The power loom makes around 20 meters of Khun per day whereas it takes around 15 days to make the same on handloom. That’s another reason why the handloom industry is struggling to survive.
Brothers, Siddharamappa and Jagannatha Mallagi.
We thanked the Chavan brothers and proceeded to our next stop, to meet the Mallagi brothers, both weavers of Khun. Both Siddharamappa and Jagannatha Mallagi have been weaving Khun since their teenage years, having learnt the craft from their father. They, too, didn’t know the history of Khunn and estimated it to be over 200 years old. They have around 6 looms in their house and all family members do weaving. All, except the next generation who have IT jobs in Bangalore. According to the Mallagi brothers, there is no bright future for Khun, as the next young generation migrates to cities in search of better pay and also because weaving is hard work and requires one to master the skill.. There are currently around 4000 weavers of Khun in Guledgudda alone, a huge decline from the 50,000 weavers in the early 2000’s. The average age of the Khun weavers is above 40 years.
Their home-cum-workshop.
I observed them working on the handloom and in the stillness of the house, the rhythmic taps and clacks of the handloom seemed poetic and musical. 
The Mallagis specialize in pure silk Khun and use only natural dyes which are chemical free. Thus, the pricing is relatively higher, since the dyes are sourced from various places. The indigo dye, for example, is grown in Andhra Pradesh, which sends the raw material to Germany, where it is made into powder form and sent back to India. I wondered why there are no factories to do this in India !
The Mallagis weave Khun only in pure silk and use natural dyes. 


Displaying the various colours. 
A skilled weaver weaves around 3 meters a day and Rs 600 per day is the labor charge if they have weavers from outside the family. They manage to weave around 40 meters per month.
Such a lovely colour Khun being woven.
There was such a serene look on the faces of the Mallagi brothers. I asked them if they were happy doing this. They replied saying that weaving is what they have done all their lives and this is what they know, so they are happy. I could sense the contentment too on their faces, as I sipped on the fresh lemonade they offered. Here, too, we bought some meters of fabric and thanked them profusely for their time and hospitality.
I got my pick fresh off the loom :-) 
I was inspired to illustrate my own version of one of Jamini Roy's paintings to represent Maharashtrian women in Ilkal and Khun with the crescent moon bindi and 'nath :-) Here it is. You may visit my art page, Purple Soul. I am taking orders for  prints of this work. Please contact me on priya@purplesoul.org for the same. 


My version of Jamini Roy's women in Khun and Ilkal.
I wish more designers take up Khun as a project and convert this beautiful fabric into interesting contemporary wear, which will find a wider audience. While browsing, I found this blog with an interesting take on Khun, in the form of a trouser. 
Khun stitched into a trouser. A brilliant idea:-). Photo take from here.
A friend, Vaijayanti, also a Khun enthusiast, wore a kurta made of Khun during the trip :-)
Kurta made of Khun. 
You may also buy directly from the Mallagis and from Sampath Rathi. Their contact details are given below. For those who are buying from the weavers/artisans for the first time, please DO NOT BARGAIN. I'm assuming others who buy from weavers, would not need that instruction as they would be sensitive to the work of the weavers and artisans and do not bargain over the price. The weavers put in a lot of work and time, not to mention years of expertise in creating a piece of cloth, so let's support them by paying whatever they ask for. You will need to know Hindi, to communicate with them. 

Sampath Rathi: +91- 9448776400
Mallagis: +91- 9008484671

We travelled from Pune to Badami by train, stayed at KSTDC Badami and hired a cab to go to Guledgudda, which is around 30 kms away. We also visited the ancient temple complexes of Pattadakkal, Aihole and Badami which I will be writing about soon. 

Edit 1: September 2019

I received an email from the publication house that manages the Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India's magazine called India Perspectives. They wanted to use my photos in the August 2019 issue of the magazine. Here are the pictures. 

Edit 2: February 2021

I received a message from a fashion designer yesterday who is mentioned in the below article and she accused me of using her images without due credits. I explained to her that the publisher has written the article and used my photos with permission (as well as hers). But just to be clear, I have blurred her images and re-uploaded the images which show only my photos clearly. I have also circled my name where the credits are given. The first page of the article is uploaded so that the heading of the article is known. Hope this leaves no room for confusion.







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98 comments:

  1. What a feast for the eyes! The jewel like colors of Khuns glow!
    I want to thank you for this article. I have always loved the khuns but thought that I had to say goodbye to them as I rarely wear saris nowadays. You have suggested several other uses for the Khuns and I hope designers can create some of these items for selling online.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So glad you liked the article, Meenal. I too love Khun and will be experimenting with more items like jackets and trousers! Hope to find a good tailor! :-)

      Delete
    2. Lovely article.I need contacts of Khun weavers... kindly mail

      Delete
    3. What a lovely information about Khun!!! Such a treat to read the details. Love your writing. Kindly share contact details of Khun weavers.

      Delete
  2. Loved your informative post. Its nice of you to leave the phone nos of the manufacturers -that way people can contact them directly. Great initiative.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Roopa :-) Glad you liked the post.

      Delete
    2. Really Priya u did a lot of efforts here keep going dear

      Delete
  3. Loved your informative post. Its nice of you to leave the phone nos of the manufacturers -that way people can contact them directly. Great initiative.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Simply superb

    I was searching for good and authentic khun Weavers through ur post I found it for khun and Ilkal

    Thank you so much

    Pls keep postimg you New post to me on my official mail I'd milind070582@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Milind. Glad you found it useful. You may subscribe to my blog to receive notifications about all posts :-)

      Delete
  5. This blog was so very much useful for my next collection. I m working on handloom textiles of Indian and next is Khun which i wanted to work on. Thank u so much mam for this blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am glad you found this useful, Smiya. Good luck.

      Delete
    2. We are khun & ilkal saree manufacturer .contact us 0n 9380160224

      Delete
  6. Wow Wow Wow!!! Perfect informative article.Me too love khun fabric n ilkal sarees n this is the perfect info I found about my recent hunt for khun fabric information.Thanks a lot.Cant wait to go there n grab some beautiful khun.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Shruti, Glad you found the post useful :-)

      Delete
  7. Awesome informative heartening article! thank you so much. I am from Pune so i get khun there. But was in search of a tailor/place/designer who has converted khan into skirts/ palazzos/ dresses etc Would you be knowing of any such tailor/ place? Thank you!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am from Pune too. I got my skirt and crop tops made from my local tailor. A designer friend of mine in Chennai https://www.instagram.com/tamarai_/ makes customized Khun apparel. She made a jacket for me. Hope this helps :-)

      Delete
  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Very interesting information. Recently we have designed Khun saree and was looking for information about dealers, weavers of Khun. In love with this fabric. And you have posted photographs of unique colour combinations. We are working as Gabha Creations on fb and insta.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Mam ,
      Firstly the information you've given in this article is quite helpful on many levels
      I am having a small venture in the field of handloom, and I've been looking for credible Khun weavers or manufacturers. Is it possible for you to pass on the contact about people mentioned in your article ?

      Delete
    2. We r khun manufacturer contact no 9380160224

      Delete
  10. Beautiful article..I was in search of manufacturer form many days..thank you for sharing contact of Mr.Rathi. what is the range of these Khan approximately??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. plz contact me watsup 8169758861
      I want khun saree for reselling

      Delete
  11. Wonderful essay. Really enjoyed it. Recent I visited Pune and bought a blouse material. Since then I had been looking to buy more of it.

    ReplyDelete
  12. f you have enjoyed reading this post, you may subscribe to new posts updates via email. Enter your email id in the 'Follow by email' on the right hand side panel.
    Where is the panel ? Could not locate

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Swarna, sorry for the very delayed response. On the right you will see the Facebook link, below that is Google translate, below that is 'Search this blog' and right below is 'Follow by email'.

      Delete
  13. Hi,

    Thanks for this informative article.

    Where in Mumbai I can get authentic Khun saree?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Lovely blog...lots of information shared.Thanks a ton.

    ReplyDelete
  15. reading your posts is itself like riding a rainbow! Superb information

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. haha, thank you so much! That's a lovely compliment :-)

      Delete
  16. Kasha saris, dupattas and stoles for khun saris, blouse fabric..

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thank you for the detailed information. It's beautifuly explained..

    ReplyDelete
  18. Absolutely loved your article. It felt as if I am there with you in the homes of those weavers, watching the looms do their work, and the weavers create magic!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wonderfully written.. very informative and interesting.. (y)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Surekh varnan
    Khup chan mahiti milali
    Thank you so much

    ReplyDelete
  21. very informative...and more than that, thanks for sharing phone number.

    Even i urge people in 40s like me, to go for such handloom weaves.
    thereby you not only encourage good business, but uphold our customs/traditions and also summer-friendly.

    cant wait to order these

    thanks again

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hello ma'am... I am fashion designer student and I have one project- artisans of khana fabric...and I am really happy to see ur article..give us such a wonderful information, with detailing..it is very helpful for me...Thank u so much for sharing a weavers number.. Definitely call him..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am reseller. .I want to start with khun n ilkal Saree business plz share manufacturers no.

      Delete
  23. Very informative article mam... thanks a lot..is this seller is wholesaler or we can buy single saree from them?and do they deal with online shopping or we have to visit there place?
    Is there any link of their page or website?

    ReplyDelete
  24. Pls let me know how to reach out to the weaver as i would.like to order in bulk

    ReplyDelete
  25. For khun material contact 8446330368

    ReplyDelete
  26. Nice information.

    I m reseller. Intrested in khana saree n irkal saree. Plz provide me wholesalers combo no. Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  27. I m reseller. Intrested in khana saree n irkal saree. Plz provide me wholesalers combo no. Thank you

    Reply

    ReplyDelete
  28. Any khun Saree retailers at Bangalore?

    ReplyDelete
  29. "Greetings! Very useful advice within this article! It is the little changes that will make the biggest changes. Many thanks for sharing!"
    Turmeric Powder Suppliers in Pune

    ReplyDelete
  30. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Plz send me Khan manufacturer mobile no

    ReplyDelete
  32. SUCH AN AWESOME ARTICLE ...

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hi Madam, I want to start a mine khun sari business, so please guide me a little, I would like to know wholsale market of khun saree, khun dupatta,khun feta

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Contact us on 9380160224 as we are manufacturer at Guledgudd of Khun Saree n Fabrics

      Delete
  34. From where r you.i am also manufacturer of Khan and ilkal saree .if any body interested call me 9740888383

    ReplyDelete
  35. Contact us on 9380160224 as we are manufacturer at Guledgudd of Khun Saree n Fabrics

    ReplyDelete
  36. Contact us on 9380160224 as we are manufacturer at Guledgudd of Khun Saree n Fabrics

    ReplyDelete
  37. I loved your post❤️ So informative, to the point and well written!! I am a designer and have placed my order with Mr. Sampath Rathi.. he was very patient and helped me with my order!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Buy high-quality premium fabric cloths material in Delhi. Charu Creation providing big discounts on Fabric Cloths material. Check out the website and avail exclusive deal

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  39. I want buy Khun sarees but I need cod facility..pls let me know

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MESSAGE ON 8087328152 OR HTTPS://WA.ME/918087328152

      Delete
  40. I want to buy Khun sarees but I need cod facility..pls let me know

    ReplyDelete
  41. KHAN SAREE CHAHIYE MUZE PR USPE NATH KI DESINE CHAHIYE

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I HV nath design khun Saree plz call on 8880572822

      Delete
    2. I hv all type khun saree more details plz contact on 7387016120

      Delete
  42. What a fascinating and informative feature ! Wonderful work , splendid pictures !
    Well done ! I have 2 sets of salwar-kameez made from "khun" fabric ...nearly 7 years ,now and the shine remains the same ! Time to purchase more ...did purchase some "khun" cushion covers ,recently !

    ReplyDelete
  43. want to start khun sari business I would like to know wholsale manufacturer or suppliers of khun saree with nath embroidery,o sarswati embroidery iton it,k jacket,dupatta tops,etc, I am from Pune

    please let me know, how can we make such business proceas convenient?
    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  44. Khup mast aahe mam Khan saree me resellar aahe ,please add me your what's up group..please what's up number..

    ReplyDelete
  45. Hi maam I'm reseller of khun saree plz give me khan saree manufacturers no
    My name swati nimbalkar
    From dombivli
    Mobile no 7021287789

    ReplyDelete
  46. Plz maam add me in ur what's up group for reselling

    ReplyDelete
  47. Pls add me in ur WhatsApp grp

    ReplyDelete
  48. Reqrerd urgent khan fabric plz call 8767203085

    ReplyDelete
  49. Im reseller plz add me in your group im from Mumbai 8828693032

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  51. Hii plz send me details what'sup no. 9762972537 ,.,,,.or give u'r no.

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  52. Pls send me urs contact details

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  53. Reseller here...plz send me ur contact number..

    ReplyDelete
  54. Hi Priya,

    Such a wonderful blog. Thanks for sharing information and details about khun and ilkal sarees. whenever i am reading your blog i get totally caved in for the informative detail which you provide. I have started my small e commerce business AARUHYA wherein we promote handlooms and handicrafts of India. I must say your blog was inspiration behind this idea. Thanks again and keep writing more.
    Poornima Deo
    Pune

    ReplyDelete
  55. Plz send me ur contact details

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  56. Pls share the contact no. Of Fabicline Originals Khun Saree. I am a reseller. I need Fabicline Originals Khun Saree for reselling. Plz share contact no.

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