Anwar Ali Khan, 55, a resident of the Bazardiha locality in Varanasi, is an expert in the old art of embellishing silk saris with zari using a handloom. But over the last few months, he has been looking to leave the profession he inherited from his forefathers.
“Five years ago, if the cost of making a sari was ₹4,000, we used to sell it for ₹4,500 or even ₹5,000, but now the cost has gone up to ₹6,000 and our customers are not ready to pay for it. I am looking for some other job to make ends meet,” he said.
The fourth and latest All India Handloom Census 2019-20 estimated that 67.1% handloom households earn less than ₹60,000 a year, effectively meaning that if four members in a family are engaged, each artisan earns a measly ₹41 a day. Bazardiha’s weavers are no exception.
