India, Nov. 17 -- If you listen closely, you'll hear our looms before the river," said one of the weavers at the famous Rehwa Society. Her words stayed with me as I wandered through the narrow lanes of Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh. The rhythmic clack of wooden looms drifted from workshops right up to the stone steps toward the Narmada. It was late afternoon, and the ghats were alive with everyday scenes: priests preparing for evening prayers, women washing clothes, and some tourists photographing the majestic fort. What I loved most was how life just went on - the looms, the river, the chatter - like history was simply part of the day's routine.

Set along the banks of the Narmada in Madhya Pradesh, about 95 kilometres from Indore, Maheshw...