Muskan BhatiaNew Delhi, April 20 -- : Between bamboo installations, Khokan Basak, a weaver from Tangail, Bangladesh, moved briskly, arranging sarees he had carried across India's eastern border from the fertile riverine Delta. He draped them over bamboo hangers as visitors, mostly women, with fewer men, paused to examine and buy pieces from a centuries-old weaving tradition.
Attempting to preserve the handloom tradition, Basak, a ninth-generation weaver, is reimagining a nearly 400-year-old family craft. Tangail has long been synonymous with fine cotton sarees, known for their delicate motifs, airy textures, and understated sophistication suited to both everyday wear and ceremonial occasions. Faced with dwindling demand for the nine-yard g...