Weaving Traditions · June 2026
Sambalpuri Bandha: the double-ikat of western Odisha
In Sambalpuri weaving the pattern is dyed into the yarn before a single thread is woven — a feat of memory and calculation with almost no margin for error.
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Notes on craft, makers and markets
Writing about the traditions we work with and the economics we are trying to change. No marketing — just the subject matter.
Weaving Traditions · June 2026
Khandua of Nuapatna: the cloth woven for Lord Jagannath
In the weaving village of Nuapatna, verses of the 12th-century Gita Govinda are woven directly into sacred cloth offered to Lord Jagannath at Puri.
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Kotpad: earth-dyed cloth from the forests of Koraput
Woven by the Mirgan community of Koraput with dyes drawn entirely from roots, plants and lac, Kotpad was Odisha’s first GI-tagged product and India’s only GOTS-certified handloom.
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Pasapalli: the checkerboard that conquered India
The checkerboard Pasapalli is the most recognised face of Sambalpuri — and a quiet test of authenticity that machine imitations cannot pass.
ReadPerspective · June 2026
Why direct market access changes everything for artisans
Between a weaver and a customer there can be four intermediaries. Each adds margin; none adds value to the cloth. Here is what removing them really changes.
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