Just imagine a fabric fifteen meters long, passing through an ordinary finger ring and weighing merely 10 gms per sq.mt. Sounds like fantasy? Actually it is a stark reality. What is being referred to is the hand-spun, hand-woven fabric Muslin made by thousands of skilled artisans of rural India known as "Khadi". It is not a mere piece of cloth but encompasses a nation's history. A country's struggle to be free from the shackles of bondage are embedded in this hand-woven, hand-spun fabric. Moreover it makes us nostalgic as it brings vivid memories of the man who revolutionised the Indian freedom struggle with the attire of simplicity.
Khadi was launched in 1920 as a political weapon in the "Swadeshi movement' by Mahatma Gandhi. He promoted the spinning of Khadi as a medium of rural self-employment and self-reliance. Mahatma is not only considered the Father of The Nation but also Father of Khadi; in 1908 he discovered the "Charakha" (spinning wheel) in London during discussions with fellow Indians regarding the Social and Political situation in India. In 1925 All India Spinners Association or Charakha Sangh was established.
The importance of Khadi has continued even after independence. In 1948 Government introduced policy on cottage and village industries, including khadi. In 1953 All India Khadi & Village Industries Board was set up and in 1957 Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) came in to force; to plan, organise and implement programmes of promoting and developing Khadi and village industries.
Khadi deals in natural fibres viz. cotton, silk and wool only, spun and woven in natural environment, it can boast of being 100% natural, unlike handloom and mills which receive cotton yarn, blended with some regenerated cellulose fibres. Khadi dyed in natural dies also makes a perfect combination for a green fabric.
Khadi is unique. By its basic definition, it is hand-spun & hand-woven. The difference between Khadi & handloom is apparent in the texture; handloom is smooth while Khadi is uneven. "Real Khadi can only be made from cotton yarn"says Ruby Ghuznavi of Arannya and President of National Craft Council.
Khadi, however, is not that popular because:
- It lacks in promotional activities
- Lack of awareness amongst masses
- Khadi emphasises on other fronts rather than selling alone
- It is relatively expensive compared to other handloom cotton fabrics
- Preference of the youth for foreign fabrics and easy care man-made/ synthetic fabrics
Khadi before independence was considered as the fabric for the political leaders and the rural people. But now it has found its way into the wardrobe of fashion conscious people. The current situation is that the demand is more than the supply. Earlier the type of khadi available was khadi cotton which had very coarse texture and feel. However many varieties of khadi like khadi silk, khadi wool and khadi cotton are available now, which makes it a fashionable fabric and likeable by the masses.
Khadi is a versatile fabric. It has the unique property of keeping the wearer warm in winter as well as cool in summer season. This fabric has coarse texture and gets easily crumpled, therefore in order to keep it firm and stiff, starch is to be added. This fabric on washing is more enhanced thus the more you wash it, better the look. Khadi is not easily worn out for years together, at least for 4-5 years. Very attractive and designer apparel are made by doing handwork on them garments made from it. Khadi spinning is generally done by girls and women and weaving mostly by men. During spinning of khadi the threads are interwoven in such a manner that it provides passage of air circulation in the fabric. Apart from this unique property, it also provides warmth in winter season which is quite surprising factor.
In khadi silk, the ratio of khadi and silk fabric is 50:50. This fabric requires dry cleaning. It shrinks about 3% after the first wash. It is quite an expensive fabric. Khadi silk provides a royal and rich look. The various types of apparels made from khadi silk are salwar kameez, kurta pajama, saris, dupattas, shirts, vest and jackets. Apparels like kurta, jacket, sari blouses requires lining to be given to ensure its longevity.
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| Khadi by Asmita Marwa |
Khadi cotton is required to be starched so that it does not get easily crumpled. It comes in many colors and is not harmful to the skin as synthetic fabrics. This cotton is very soothing in summer season as ample amount of air ventilation is there, it has the capacity to absorb moisture therefore it easily soaks the sweat and keeps the wearer cool and dry. Khadi cotton comes in plain as well as in printed fabrics. The most common outfit of made from khadi cotton is the Kurta. Many types of apparel are manufactured from khadi cotton like saris, salwar suits, fabric yarns, western tops, shirts, trousers, skirts, handkerchief,etc. It is a very durable fabric.
Wearing Khadi today means paying homage to crafts-person who spin the yarn meticulously on the charakha. Fashion Designers who have been using Khadi, fully or partially, in their collections and thus popularising its use in the modern day India include Ritu Kumar, Ritu Beri, Sabyasaachi Mukherjee, Rahul Mishra, Rohit Bal, Rajesh Pratap, Anand Kabra, Wendell Rodriguez, Ninoshka Alvares, Deepika Gehani, Reynu Tandon, Anju Modi, Madhu Jain, Deepika Govind, Swati Mehrotra, Soham Dave and many more.
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| Khadi by Sabyasaachi Mukherjee |
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| Khadi by Soumitra Mondal |
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