Making of the Maheshwari Sari at Rehwa, Maheshwar

When Richard Holkar of the erstwhile royal family returned to Maheshwar from his life abroad, he had many challenges to deal with. One of them was the plight of the weaver community and the lack of livelihood options for the people of Maheshwar. He and his wife at the time, Sally, decided to set up Rehwa Society, a small weaving unit to revive the age-old local craft of weaving that had thrived at the time of Rani Ahilyabai Holkar (1765-1795). It would, in turn, also provide work and income to local weavers.

Today, this thriving centre makes some of the most exquisite saris in India. Hundreds of people from the village are now engaged in the business of weaving.

There is a buzz of activity in the weaving unit. Yet all the weavers remain focused on their looms, almost meditatively. Spending time here is a rich, sensory experience: absorbing the sound of the looms, the colour of the threads, the textures of the fabric. Like magic, the weavers transform dyed threads into a graceful garment.

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