Assam Handloom Weaving Notebook

Handloom weaving forms a cultural constituent of the women of Assam. In earlier days most of the cloth required for the family was produced in the family itself. The designs of the textiles are traditions of the Assamese culture, initiated at the base level by the weaver women, also called the Sipini. The indigenous handicrafts, often confined to professional castes in the rest of India, were practiced as household industries in the valley of the Brahmaputra. Every family in Assam had looms to meet the requirement of the household. The looms were the center of domestic economy, sometimes the only hope of salvation in an hour of distress or despair. Unfortunately though, the art of weaving has been dying in Assam. Newer generations are reluctant to learn the craft and keep the tradition alive. Think of the rural Assamese woman the next time you glance at a hand woven piece of fabric.