Wednesday 14 January 2015

Civilization And Social Changes

As human civilization we had been ruled, oppressed and abused for hundreds of years. Each country has its own history of such events cutting across all segments of society. The moment now in the history of human existence is the most apt time for social change. There is the best of everything available to make an impact more powerful than ever. Social change is about letting people live their lives in the environment which is most dear to them with dignity.

My idea of social change is to keep the rural in the rural with enough work fetching them fair living wage which will  not only give them enough but also  keeps them connected to the soil they belong.

After agriculture, weaving is the next biggest livelihood option for rural India. In spite of being such a big sector it has not been able to retain weavers. The various policies, projects and funding have failed at some level to penetrate and make a difference.

Be the change you want to see, said Gandhi ji. Kaumudi Studio has been founded to take the handlooms to a new realm and understanding. The two important stake holders in this endeavor is the artisans and the consumers. The product will arrive with the consumer in the shortest supply chain possible where the artisan and consumer can have access to  each other.

Today most of the weavers children have migrated to the urban areas to take up odd jobs and also for lack of utilities in the rural like education, health and housing. Social change will be when young men and women will get back to the occupation of their fore fathers.

Weaving was one of the most easily imbibed talent next to tiling the land. Children would learn activities just being around the loom. Any occupation defined as money earning mechanism is ruled by:
A.    Expertise
B.     Hard work
C.    Repetition of tasks involving body and mind.

Kaumudi wishes to inspire, lure, and train young men and women to take up weaving as an occupation which is their family tradition. Once the young are in the rural set up facilities like schools, hospitals and comfortable houses will come to the neighborhood making a rural set up complete in a holistic way.

The irony of today’s huge technological development is about using mind more than the body and the results are alarming. Weaving is an art, craft and skill which uses the complete body in total awareness of mind. A full time weaver is never obese. He is alert and healthy.

Embracing handloom will bring the carbon foot print down of clothing. The huge industrial set ups have caused enough damage over years and now is the time to detox the environment so that it can help the flora and fauna to live a healthy life in abundance.

Handloom should be the next revolution like the green, white, blue and golden revolutions of India.

Dr.Sharmila NagrajNandula
Founder Kaumudi Studio
Hyderabad, India
www.kaumudistudio.com

Friday 9 January 2015


Bind a Handwoven Ensemble with Handcrafted Earth !!
We are celebrating the Sun and the Earth!
Celebrating Weavers and Terracotta Artisans of India !!!

Color D Earth and Kaumudi Studio invite you to the “Sankaranti Fest” on 10th and 11th January 2015. (Saturday and Sunday).

This is a unique Eco Socio concept festival aimed at offering you the best of Hand woven Clothing and Handcrafted Jewelry honouring & celebrating our rich heritage!

Color D Earth handcrafts exquisite Terracotta Jewelry from riverbed clay! 
This enterprise has contributed to the livelihoods of many terracotta artisan groups from all over the country for over a decade now. 

We bring together the 5 elements of nature in the best range of colors, textures and shapes in "fired clay". 
We are showcasing a special collection of the best of Terracotta jewelry of 11 artisan groups from 6 different states for the festive season!


Kaumudi Studio is opening new realms for handloom, handcrafted and handmade clothing and textiles of India. 
This design studio has three R’s as their mission to Restore | Revive | Retain textiles of India. Weavers and artisans from all over the country are roped in to make unique one of a kind of clothing for men and women.
Organic cottons, khadi, linen, bamboo, silk, woven on handloom, embellished with hand block printing and painting bring the finest of collections which expresses the unique sense of style in YoU!

Sankranti Fest ‘ 2015
Venue: Color D Earth - The Terracotta Studio,
2nd Floor, Above Syndicate Bank, Road no.7, Banjara Hills,
Hyderabad, 
Telangana- 500034

Phones : +91 40 40204277

Date: 10-Jan-2015 & 11-Jan-2015

Time: 11:00 AM to 7:30 PM

Wednesday 7 January 2015

Why should we use handloom?


Benefits of Handloom
Handloom weaving had the inherent ability to imbibe positive energy into the products. Our research proved that there is a definite improvement in health parameters when handloom cotton is worn for longer periods of time. The eebrgy field enhances as lot of slow processes and conscious processes positive energy is imbibed in the product which passes on to the wearer. This kind of clothing can be used to reduce stress  as by nature is very soothing to  the wearer. This not only will create a balance in one’s life but can also enhance productivity in people and detox them to keep them away from stress related ailments which are so common in today’s world.
More information and awareness of clothing like this will make more conscious and healthy people inhabiting the globe along with all its grandeur of flora and fauna.

Social and Economic
There is lot of development in India in many fields. For example:
ü     Science and Technology
ü     Health and Medicine
ü     Space research
ü     Nano Technologies
....to name a few. And we have gone far ahead in all these fields.

But, there is no major development with the handloom weavers. Neither their life styles have improved nor the economic conditions.

There are lot of programs happening  for the encouragement of the weavers; by the government, NGOS, various designers, and other organisations which by far are not improving the living conditions of the weavers.

Most of these weavers are not aware of  the government programs run for their benefit. Also, the benefit doesn’t penetrate  all levels depriving them of  fair wage. 

When there is good awareness of the source, quality, and benefits of handlooms, I am sure everyone would strive to revive our age old tradition of  handloom clothing. This would generate more demand for handlooms / handloom integrated clothing, which will surely improve the economic conditions of our weavers. Also, weavers will find a reason to pass on their art to the coming generations.

What we do:


Team work
Kaumudi Studio is a team work.  Our team is not just limited to the people who are working at  the studio, but extended to the handloom weavers, artisans - Kalahasti Kalamkari, Pedana Kalamkari, Hand Block Printers from Rajasthan, Gujarat - Ajrak,  Ikat -Hyderabad., etc.  We try to connect the wearer and the weaver for a delightful bond between the rural and the urban.

Fair Wage
Weaving is an art, it is a craft it involves science and technology. A weaver is the most learned craftsmen’s. He should be paid fair wage for creating something which is made painstakingly day after day. We at Kaumudi make the weaver feel proud of his creation by giving him his due recognition and  wage so that he comes back to the loom with more zeal and more connection to the piece he is weaving.