NY NOW Podcast

Handloom Textile Tours with Heritage Weaves

• NY NOW • Season 1 • Episode 74

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Heritage weaves conducts hand loom textile tours for conscious travelers, who want to see how handmade clothes are made, buyers and textile enthusiast, gain the experience of seeing how Ikat is made and buy from the weavers directly. Each process of the Ikat weaving is explained in detail, based in Nalgonda district of Telangana state, India. Heritage Weaves has more than 50 women weavers working with the enterprise. Artisans weave traditional as well as contemporary ikat weaves, working with sustainable and 100 % natural yarns- cotton and silk.   

RESOURCES   
Guest Websites:
Website: www.heritageweaves.com   
IG: @heritageweaves   
FB: @heritageweaves   
www.linkedin.com/in/ujwalapasla   

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Dondrill Glover:

Welcome to The New York now podcast, a modern wholesale market for retailers and specialty buyers seeking diversity and discovery, gathering twice a year in America's design capital, New York City. It's where buyers and designers on Earth have refreshed and dedicated collection of eclectic lifestyle products. Hi, I'm Dondrill Glover, podcast hosts and senior producer from New York now, and welcome to another episode of journeys and narratives in global handmade, and today, we journey to South India or chat with Ujwala Pasla, co founder of Heritage Weaves. for over 10 years, the social entrepreneur has been working with hand looms of India, and establishing profitable social enterprise businesses for artists and communities, mentoring, weaving families, and proving that handloom weaving is a highly viable livelihood income option, or the region's younger generations of weavers as an a cot manufacturer. And Ujwala is preserving its authenticity and heritage and South India's extraordinary textile landscape. All while inviting fires, retailers, designers and other handmade enthusiast to experience textiles and 23. Other regional crafts through exclusive tours throughout South India. Join me in welcoming Ujwala to the New York now podcast. Good evening, Joella. And thank you for joining us today.

Ujwala Pasla:

Good morning, Dondrill, where are you doing? Oh, I

Dondrill Glover:

am doing fine. I am really excited that we are having this conversation. You and I connected last year. And finally here we are traveling through conversations in journeys and narratives in global handmade and you're in South India. Yeah. And it's, you know, the fact that you're joining us. And I know it's the evening there. So I really appreciate you taking the time. And it's also such a pleasure to be kicking off our celebration of women's history month with a conversation with you in South India. So thank you.

Ujwala Pasla:

Thank you so much for inviting me for this podcast. I have forward to having a very interesting conversation with you.

Dondrill Glover:

Oh, I have no doubt. So one of the things I will let you know you've had a really interesting and fully packed and deeply immersed career. I'd love to start off with that journey to where you are now. Yeah,

Ujwala Pasla:

sure. I started this journey in 2012. I am a corporate dropout. In 2012. I took a break from my job because my son was not doing well. So I had some free time. And I've met few Weaver's because I'm a handloom lover, and I always used to wear hand on clothes. So once I met a weaver, and he said he has some problems with market connectivity, he's not able to sell to other people. So I, I was very good at internet and technology and all that. So I thought, let me help him. So I tried some online marketplaces, and try to sell his products online. And to my surprise, those products sold within three days, you know, I bought some 10 products, and they were sold out in three days time. So I went back to the viewer, and I told him, this online thing is much better for you, because going to the market traveling and he opening a store is very expensive. And there are a lot of logistics, and financial burdens and all that. So selling online would be good. But the weavers are not tech savvy. So they didn't know how to sell online and all that. So I started helping him to sell his products online. And it was going very good. You know, we we started with an investment of 10,000 rupees, which is around like $2,000 or something, and not $1,000. So we started with$1,000. And we started selling and it was doing very well. So it started as helping the weaver but then it became my career. And then I decided that I don't want to go back to a corporate job. I want to continue with this job. That is how it happened accidentally.

Dondrill Glover:

Oh, that's excellent. And on the strength of that answer. When was that when did you know that sort of building social enterprise would be a path for you? That it just really resignated strong with you?

Ujwala Pasla:

Yeah, so when I I started it was, the intention was market connectivity for the products which weavers were making. That was my intention of starting heritage roots. But then as days went by, and as we saw more than selling just the products to other people, not just the market connectivity from the weaver, to the people who would be buying directly, we realize that there has to be some mindset changes in the weavers as well as the buyers and lifestyle changes, because only then this tradition would go to the next generation. Otherwise, it would be like just if we are creating market connectivity and livelihoods, it would be just this generation. But if we have to take this to another generation, or we have to preserve this tradition and heritage of hand weaving, then we it has to be social enterprise. So tell us

Dondrill Glover:

how that company sort of shaped in its mission and the value principles that you aligned in this social mission through heritage weaves.

Ujwala Pasla:

Yeah, we started with trying to figure out how to sell the products which the viewers were doing, but then we realized the mission has to be how to protect this heritage, you know, because we were competing with fast fashion, we still are competing with fast fashion, which are much cheaper, you know, they are they are mass produced. So they are much cheaper. So, we are competing with that. Yeah. So, the mission has to be we have to preserve this, this handloom weaving and also we have to educate the customers, because fast fashion is so cheap, it is available, so cheap people gravitate towards that, they want to buy that and also there is season changing, right? Every three months the season changes that trend changes. So people want to look fashionable, there is a misconception conception that if you were changing clothes, every three months, you are trendy you are and you are cool and all that that is a misconception. But in case of handlooms we there are some products which we take three months just to make them. So we cannot go through seasons, we cannot change the designs every three months. Of course, then, yeah, so we needed to change the perception of the customer, as well as we had to protect this. We had to educate people. Why should we go with handloads? You know why it is important to preserve that culture and preserve that heritage and tradition of weaving? Through hands? Yeah, so our mission is hiring livelihoods for the reverse for this generation, as well as protecting these weaving tradition. Also, we want to take this to the next generation. If the vivre get Weaver is suitably rewarded financially, then he will allow his children to do the weaving, you know, continue this tradition. You said that,

Dondrill Glover:

if there's not a, you know, viable income, you know, fair wages that you're finding master weavers are generations of reverse don't want to take that forward. And I think that it's important for the next generation to have a sustainable income, so they can drive it forward. And then you mentioned changing the perception fast fashion, is a it's a thorn everywhere. Yes, sort of quick, this trend, this misinterpretation of values based in fashion, and not thinking about what's behind it. I would love to ask this as sort of an off question is, what were some of the the tactics that you use to change the perception? You know, you've got a weaver taking several months to make something really meaningful and valuable with sustainable materials and so forth. And how do you in a short began to change the conversation or the narrative around the value that goes into making an item that's handmade.

Ujwala Pasla:

So we focus on the quality and sustainable for us is the product should last longer. So that there is not mass production of the products and a person who buys it. He need not buy again. And again, they can buy less and quality products. So, we use natural yarns, cotton, silk, and it's hand woven. And we also use good quality dyes. And many times we use natural dyes which are taken out of flowers, leaves, pomegranate, pea, indigo, all these kinds of thing which are good for your skin also. And they last longer and they are healthy, all's good for you. And we give them we give our customers a lot of designs, you know, there is a variety of colors, because nature is so varied. We can get colors from so many places, we get colors from leaves, we get colors from different kinds of flowers, some box and fruit peels, so we give lots of variety in colors, and it is good quality and we design, give them give customers designs, which are evergreen, they go out of fashion.

Dondrill Glover:

Yeah, I so I just love, you know, the ideal and that it's being applied, it's been happening for quite some time of going to nature to really connect with the Earth, you know, they're not only sustainable, you know, they're part of the earth. They're part of the fabric, you're not interrupting the ecosystem, you're actually extending it. And I think that that's fantastic. I'd love to ask about the products that you're actually making at Heritage weaves. And then what services you offer.

Ujwala Pasla:

Yeah, so we work with a craft called Ticket i k at a Kurth which is a racist dyeing technique, the design is put on the yarn, and then it is woven on the loom pit loom, it's called pit loan, so that we work with a cut craft. So we make a cut textiles, which can be used for apparel, or which can be used for home furnishings, then we make saris, then we make scarfs. And all kinds of textiles we make, which can be used for apparel, as well as home furnishings.

Dondrill Glover:

I'd love to move on to talk about the artists and community culture and barriers. But you know, where are you finding some of the more pressing challenges disrupting artists and communities? So sort of that barrier between continuing handmade and yeah, the tools and the support they need? Yeah,

Ujwala Pasla:

so one of the challenge we have is this, like, people want to be trendy. So they want designs and colors. Like for example, every year, there's a forecast of a color, right? This year, it's some purple. So every year, some person sitting in France, or Milan says this is a color we have to use for this year. So we can't keep up with that kind of colors. You know, we use evergreen colors. We can't We can't change with the trends. And it takes a lot of time. And also when you're using natural colors, natural dyes. There are some colors which which cannot be made. Like when there is a fashion forecast. We can't create the exact color exact, exact shade. Because it comes from nature.

Dondrill Glover:

Exactly. So you're working in that way. Yeah, the other challenges I love to ask about are more in terms of in addition to your design components, as you mentioned, you're working with nature, and you can't necessarily keep up with trends that may be more international. But I do think that that conscious buyer, the kind of retailers and buyers, in brands that you're making connections with, I think that they're interested in a more conscious product and really are coming because of that connection to nature to sustainability. And of course, being mindful of the earth and how you use its materials that disruption in artists in communities. What's that barrier for perhaps funding? What's that barrier in galvanizing artists in communities to create workshops and working with NGOs? Or has that been, is that a challenge? Or are we losing groups of artists sins due to additional barriers that we may not know about?

Ujwala Pasla:

A one barrier is there is a mystery conception within people that if it comes from a vivre, it has to be at cheaper prices. When people buy from a designer, they are willing to pay higher costs, but when it is from a vivre, they want it at cheap cost, because they think they are not using any investment, they are not using any machine. So, it has to be cheap, but it is handmade and it takes a lot of time and it takes many years to perfect the craft. So, they they have to be paid more that is why then financially it becomes viable. And one more challenge we are facing is not of people are just taking that motives, whatever traditional motives we have incurred, they are taking those motives and printing them. So, we have a lot of fake products, which are not a cut, but they look like a car they are printed like a car, but they are not the real products. So, and they are mass produced, they prints are copied and they are mass produced. So, people who do not understand the craft, they have doubts, why handlooms are expensive. I understand these kinds of barriers we have otherwise, like we do not have problem with funds. Government also helps us and there are like we can take loans. And funding is not a problem. But market connectivity is a problem customer need to understand, and why these handlooms are a little expensive, because they are not mass produced and how they cannot change with every season.

Dondrill Glover:

I understand. Yes, it will. So if it's I'm happy to see that the funding barrier is not there that there's a greater understanding of why these initiatives need funding and support. And it sounds like on the other end of education from you know, what original econ and what the original motifs look like, then we just need to educate our conscious consumers in retailers about investing in those particular collections and not the copies kind of fast printed versions that really hold no value with the exception of just selling a lot that doesn't represent the true craft. And so, it's good to know that, that the next thing I'd love to ask is, you know, who are the artisans that you're working with? Who are the culturally and and what does that heritage bring to the crap? How does it influence it?

Ujwala Pasla:

Yeah, so, Indian community was always divided into different communities like India was divided into like, one community, which does only Vivi and there are some communities which would do only pottery for the entire community and there would be some people who would be doing jewellery making. So India was traditionally divided like that. So, I am working with the community which are called Padma Shali. So, they have been weaving hand looms forever for many generations they have been doing. So before India, before British people came to India, every Indian was wearing handloads there were no textile mills, every buddy used to wear hand looms and hand loom was thriving. In fact, after farming, weaving is the second vocation which gives livelihood to Indians. So after a British people came, they introduced textile mills and then a lot of handloom weaving had to be stopped. But there Yeah, so in India earlier on, people used to wear only handles. So now these community called Padma shaly. These are traditional weavers. And they are close to Hyderabad. They live near Hyderabad, I am based in Hyderabad of South India. And my state is called Telangana state. So I'm working with these weavers who have been traditionally weavers and they don't naturally answer and they do a cut. Craft.

Dondrill Glover:

I understand. And so really, you know, they're their influence. And so the culture is really something that's just been long standing. And, you know, we're the region that's really, really interesting, and it just makes so much sense what I think about those 26 states of textiles. It's really great to sort of Micro in on a specific region, and a particular group that is doing Illume. Because once again, it's also about that education, about weaving about the culture. You know, once that product gets to a store, and that buyer and retailer have to relay that story to a customer, these details are so key, and bringing the customer closer to the culture and having the appreciation for the product. And the other layer of that is understanding what they're paying for and why it's worth the investment in which I love to call green dollars. And so it's really great to get a bit of an understanding of that, you know, Jwala, we are in the midst of we're just kicking off Women's History Month. And I love to talk about the role of artists and women in the handmade sector are artists and women gaining equality in South India, fair wages, leadership roles, education opportunities, what is that looking like? Now,

Ujwala Pasla:

it is improving a lot earlier, all through India. These kinds of crafts were taught from father to son, the girls were, though the girls used to contribute in production, like when the girls are young, like 10 years, 12 years, they learn how to do weaving because they are in that family, right? Everybody is doing weaving. So they learn how to do Vivi but the trade secrets and all those things were not taught to the girls because they would get married and they would go to another family. But now it is changing. Now girls are also learning and the wages depend on what kind of tasks they take in the weaving like because weaving has some eight to 10 tasks. So, the wages depend on what task the woman do, usually what happens the woman take the simpler tasks because they have to take care they are the caregiver for the family, right, they have to look after the family they have to do look after the house cooking everything. So, they would take up simpler tasks like spinning and marking the design on the yarn, which gives lower wages, the dying in a cut dyeing and weaving these are the two tasks which get the most wages. So, these tasks were done by men and the simpler tasks were done by women, that is why there was a difference between the wages. But now women are also taking weaving and dyeing is a physical intensive work. So usually men do it because dyeing is hand dyeing and it's done in big you know, big tanks kind of thing with time. So, it was physically little difficult for the woman. So, they used to do simpler tasks, but now women are taking every kind of a task and they are taking leadership roles also and education opportunities. Recently Indian government they announced that the children of the weaver will get free education in their design schools, which is like NEFT, which is called National Institute of fashion technology. Yes, the beavers children will get free education, which costs around $20,000 For other people, this will be free of cost for Weaver's children. And also, they do not this NIFT has around 23 branches across India, it has a branch in every state. So, there is a big competition to enter this colleges, you know, there is entrance exams and all that. Yeah. And so, a lot of urban people compete with that, you know, people who are like, educated in English medium and all that very high class people's children who wants to aspire to be designers and global designers and all that they compete for these admissions, but now, government has announced that we was children will get free education in this Institute's and also they need not compete with other people out of it, they will get direct admission you have that right. It is a very good thing you know, so. So the beavers can now become designers and they can earn more respectability like here what happens is Viva is not given that kind of respect, but a designer is given more respect. So If the weavers children become designer that respectability is earned.

Dondrill Glover:

Yeah, absolutely. And I also love the fact that they're being invested in I'm very often as we know, in the past, it's been about sort of village life and having your designs either taken or misappropriated and you once again, not given the fair wage or the respectability that goes along with the craft and when you are actually really holding on to legacy and heritage that is so important. And so identifies the region globally. So I think that's a fantastic initiative. Tell me what your region represents in the textile landscape

Ujwala Pasla:

of South India. Yeah, so, I'm based in Hyderabad and my state is called Telangana state in South India. So, our area represents a craft called acre, which is racist dyeing technique. And this acre is produced not just in India, it is produced in Malaysia and Turkey and Thailand also. But, we specialize in double liquor, there is something called Double liquor, which is which is more complex form of a cup double acre is made only in India and it is made in three places one is Hyderabad, one is Gujarat in India and one more is Orissa. So, these are the three places where Dubberly cut is made. And our area of specialization is called pochampally. Which has gi type we have our area has do two gi tags one is pochampally which is like it can be single Licata diabolical and there is one more gi tag which we have which is called Talea Romane so Talea Ramal is very special because see, our weather is quite hot right? In summers it goes to 40 degrees centigrade and about also so in olden days, these fabrics were woven with some medicinal oils, which would keep the fabric

Dondrill Glover:

cooler. Wow, very Yeah. So

Ujwala Pasla:

that that is where the name came thelia or multi Leah means in Hindi it is called oily. We call oil as tail and Roma means scarf. So we used to make scarves with these medicinal oils woven into those cars, which would keep the head cooler. You know, the men used to wear it on their head to keep it cooler. And there were no air conditioners. Wow, that's that Yeah. Now, that that technique of using oil, last generation it has been lost. Nobody is using those medicinal oils, they have most of the rivers even do not know how to use those oils and we into the scarf, because nobody is using those cuffs. So that art is dying. We are just here. Yeah. Yeah. So my my organization heritage weaves we are trying to revive. We are trying to just continue with the motives, whatever motifs and technique was there we are trying to continue that designs into different fabrics.

Dondrill Glover:

It's great to learn those things about the textiles and that's and I once again hope that you're able to revitalize that lens on infusing the oil into the textiles. I'd love to move on to talk about your textile tours. We know that heritage weave has introduced these tours and I know that they're on my bucket list. I'd love to talk about this experience because it has greatly inspired today's conversation as it provides a deeper connection for the artists in world. So what does the toured clue

Ujwala Pasla:

that entity we are doing one day to one day to is we take the craft enthusiasts to a place where we do the weaving and we explain and give a demo of whatever steps there are around nine steps in making a cut fabric. So we show them and explain the history of a curb and how differentiate how different kinds of a cat like WEF ticket work acre single acre double acre Thalia Ramal and vegetable dyes. All these we explain and we give them a demo of how it is made. Then we also have five day to where we take them to the areas around hydrobath, where there are different crafts, we don't work with those artisans, but we would love to showcase that to other people craft enthusiast. So, we have something called Kalamkari, which is hand painting with natural dyes. Then we have a Python e sari, which is mostly used in weddings, you know, they are like glittery kind of thing, woven with gold jewelry and all that. So those kinds of things. So we have this five day too. And we also have 15 day tours, where we take people around around my state of Telangana, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, there are a lot of cracks, we take them everywhere. Yeah, India is very rich in handlooms. So, we take them to all these places, and show them how different crafts are made. And our intention is to show designers and sustainable brands, and stores and wholesalers, and retailers have these hand looms, to understand how to differentiate these fabrics. And how these fabrics are made. What kind of effort goes what kind of technique goes into this? And what kind of people make this you know. And also, when we show them, we also show how we are protecting the earth like there is zero carbon emission.

Dondrill Glover:

And that's a great point. I love that we're learning more and more about your sustainable value principles in the tours that you're providing for buyers, retailers and travelers and in craft and booziest. In that tour, is it I mean, does a bus pick them up? Is their lunch provided in when they go to a particular group say when they're at Heritage weaves that tour taking an hour? Is it taking a couple hours? You know, what is that sort of interaction, like in that time, if a buyer and retailer are coming on such a tour on site with you?

Ujwala Pasla:

Yeah, so if it's a one day tour, we'll pick them up in the morning. And then we take them to the reverse place in a bus, and then we give them lunch, food, food or whatever they want whatever is required for the day. We provide them and then we drop them back into a decided place. It could be an airport or it could be a train station. Okay, that is one day too. But if it is a one month tour or a 15 day tour, then we arrange for the stay also. And also the customers can choose to live with the weavers also, we will have some place. Yeah. They can experience the rural life you know how we will live so weavers? The customers can choose to live with the weavers with them. For 15 days, yeah,

Dondrill Glover:

kind of a residency in the village in the community.

Ujwala Pasla:

Yeah, that that will be a choice that the customers can decide if they want to do that. Because see in the villages, the they do not have so much facilities, of course people who come from different countries, like if somebody is traveling from USA or New York, the villages will not have that kind of a facility.

Dondrill Glover:

Of course, of course. Yeah, that's it. Yeah. So it is

Ujwala Pasla:

a choice. Of course, he wants to experience that rural life and each therefore they are willing to they are very warm people, you know, weavers are very warm people. You can just walk into their house and they will welcome you with a big smile. They have places and they would love to feed people. You know, Indians love feeding people. You know, I thought and all that. Amazing. Yeah, if somebody wants to experience that rural life with the weavers and artisans, they are more than welcome

Dondrill Glover:

to Okay, so that's another option for the tour if you're going to participate. The other question that I love to ask is that, you know, of course the pandemic and the challenges that come around that for this particular initiative with the channel worse, how have you enhanced safety measures for traveling buyers and retailers? Yeah,

Ujwala Pasla:

so, the weavers we work with, they work from their home they work from home especially because we are working with women and women have to take care of their families look after the house and then do work also. So, we have set up glue or dining facility everything around the houses. So, you will not have crowd and we are sanitizing the houses also of the reverse house before there is a tour and after there is a tour and we are taking care that too much crowd is not there. And are you all the weavers are vaccinated?

Dondrill Glover:

That's a good that's a great point to bring up for our audience that that those measures have been taken. And last question on that are when the tours take place, just in the moment of where we are right now are people wearing masks

Ujwala Pasla:

in India mask is required? Okay, perfect, okay. And we can we do have extra mass. So we can provide mass mass are required and we will provide sanitizers and we provide hygienic food, if they want food, we we actually arranged food through the tools. So it will be hygienic places and hygienic food, nothing to worry about that. And mask is compulsory in India, even now, everywhere, anywhere in India mask is compulsory and vaccination is also compulsory. So most of the people have taken double vaccinations. So that's not a problem

Dondrill Glover:

antastic it's good, it's good to know about that. That is a concern, no matter where we are. So it's great to see that we're all on board and moving forward in protecting ourselves and the world is becoming healthier. So I'm encouraged. I'd love to loop back very briefly to your conscious value principles. You know, we've all heard the quote, you know, you know who's made your clothes, it's been a well noted tagline and conscious fashion and the handmade sector at large. I'd love to ask, why is it been so important to you to bridge the understanding and awareness for buyers and retailers with artisans, the importance of that?

Ujwala Pasla:

See, one thing is, this is our tradition, this is the Indian tradition. And like I told you, before British people came everybody in India used to wear handlooms and handlooms is still the second largest livelihood provider for Indians. But because of fast fashion, because people do not understand handlooms the newer generation, I think my mother's and my grandmother's Generation, were only handlooms. But my generation and the newer generation who are coming millennials and Gen Z as we call them, they do not understand handlooms you know, they want everything fast. That's what I feel. So they do not understand why a fabric takes three months to make and all those things and they want new things every day they want everything fast. So, it is important that the next generation also buys these kinds of products understands these kinds of products. Otherwise, this tradition will die like the Thalia Romel where medicinal oils and herbes were used, now, that that has become extinct, nobody is using that. So, similarly, if there is no buyer for these kinds of products, then slowly the weavers will also shift to other kinds of jobs, you know, they will shift and they will leave this craft. So, this craft will die which is soul of India, it is our identity and it is who we are it has history. So, all that will go it will become like dinosaur you know one after three, four generations people will just talk that we have textile museums, we have some Textile Museum. So, all this art will be just in textile museums and people will have to go to museum to see this. So we it is important that we cannot kill a part of our heritage, right? It has to go through it has to be taken to the next generation. So that's so important that Add, the next generation also sees how it is made. What is our history? There is a history to that.

Dondrill Glover:

Of course, I mean, that

Ujwala Pasla:

that is so important. Yeah, you couldn't have said it better.

Dondrill Glover:

I think, you know, preserving craft, the legacy, the heritage and, and something really powerful out of what you said is that if we don't continue to preserve, to save the crap crap that are at risk, we will end up one day only seeing them in a museum. And I think that we can't have that we have to definitely continue on this path. And making sure that handmade is present in represented and moved through generations. And so I thank you for the work that you're doing to participate in that legacy. I knew that this conversation would be informative it feel these wonderful layers of information and even a wonderful education. For myself, I've had the privilege of traveling to India only once and I was on the other side, Mumbai, Kolkata. And going out to the countryside, it was amazing. So I can only imagine being able to experience the other regions which are on the list, I'd love to ask, you know, in that, what can we look forward to from Heritage waves in 2022

Ujwala Pasla:

we are working on new kinds of textiles, which is him we want to be more sustainable. So, we have developed few textiles when we are experimenting with hem pIane we only use natural yarns like cotton, pure silk and linen. So now we want to experiment with him. And also we have been experimenting textiles with banana fiber and green leafy vegetables, and Lotus fiber we are working on Lotus silk and making fabrics with from green leafy vegetables and also banana fabric. Oh, so these are the things Yeah, so we want to be more sustainable. And also we want to revive these natural dyes, you know vegetable dyes, because there is so much chemical everywhere, we want to improve the you know quantity of fabrics we are making in natural dyes, of course, yeah. And also, we want to start maybe one month tour for people who are traveling from USA and other places out of the country out of India. If somebody wants to come to India, we are curating a one month craft Tour, where we will be taking them to each state. And we will be focusing on handlooms there are many crafts in India, but we want to focus on handlooms because we are in two hands. So we will be taking the people to around 23 states and educating them about the handlers woven in each different places.

Dondrill Glover:

Wow, that's that is amazing. I'll put a plug in for perhaps also putting together some one week or 10 day tours that, you know, buyers and retailers and travelers can experience but to imagine to spend a month would be incredible. It's like a sabbatical being able to come and spend that time. You know, as I said, y'all I am so happy that we were able to finally have this conversation. It is such a privilege to have you here on this series of journeys and narratives in global handmade, because we're just traveling through conversation. And you've brought us closer to South India and your region and your craft and the mission. And for that we truly appreciate the time.

Ujwala Pasla:

So then Don drill. Thank you so much for inviting me here. And I thank New York now for this wonderful podcast. I'm very happy to share about my work with you all.

Dondrill Glover:

Well, it was our pleasure and we thank you for joining us and we will be staying tuned. You know to follow to see what's happening before we before I forget. I want to know how can listeners stay connected with you? Can you share your social media and website with us?

Ujwala Pasla:

Yeah, my website is heritage weaves.com. You can also connect with me on my instagram handle which is heritage weaves. I'm also on LinkedIn, Ujwala Pasla UJWALABAS A are, you can send me an email on heritage weaves. online@gmail.com

Dondrill Glover:

Fantastic. And for our listeners, I will definitely at the end of the podcast, do a recap of Ujwala, social media channels and also additional contact information for you and thank you for joining us. The stories of textiles in India is one of the oldest in the world. The earliest surviving Indian cotton thread to date back to around 4000 BC, and dyed fabrics and others from the regions are documented as far back as 2500 BC. India's textiles were so central to its identity abroad, that in ancient Greece and the Babylon, the names of India were shorthand for cotton. Indian textiles are embedded in every aspect of its identity. courtly splendored was proclaimed by magnificent fabrics in religious worship still find expression through cloth. The global trade systems are formed to export of Indian fabrics and handmaking c loths continue to shape India today. Thank you for joining us for another episode of journeys and narratives in global handmade. To learn more and connect with heritage weaves, visit heritage weaves.com and follow on Instagram at Heritage weaves. Thank you for listening to the New York now podcast. Make sure to tune in weekly for engaging and insightful conversations touching on the most relevant topics facing our community today. Is it to your gmail.com to learn more about our market, and how you can join in all the conversation