India has a rich history in cotton and silks and the fabric industry in general. Today we had the opportunity to see how some are made. We are in Bhagalpur.

A whole neighbourhood in Bhagalpur is taken over by bobbing thread, dying cloth and weaving. A lot of the handlooms have now been replaced by automated weaving machines which are operated by a few workers in dark rooms with a deafening clanking noise from the machines reverberating throughout. They must have many cases of severe hearing loss.

In a house opposite reims and reims of bobbing threads.

Round the corner an open air factory for dyeing the threads and creating the warp which will be fed into the weaving machines. I didn’t ask what happens to all of this if it rains.

This post is for my friend Suja whose love of and respect for cloth and textiles has her admiring the craft but also repurposing and reimagining many pieces. She was constantly in my mind as I was witnessing these many processes.

A fascinating insight into the steps and processes of cloth making.

More of the noise and clatter on my instagram page marinamarangos.