INTACH celebrates India’s traditional saree weavers with New Delhi exhibition

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Apr 16, 2019

The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage is currently holding an exhibition titled the Vernacular Built Heritage of Iconic Saree Weaving Clusters of India to promote the craft and the architecture that houses it.

The INTACH exhibition on saree weaving clusters is currently taking pace from March 28 to April 30 at INTACH’s Multipurpose Hall in New Delhi’s Lodhi Estate. The exhibition shines a light on the handloom weaving clusters and INTACH’s Architectural Heritage Division also explores the buildings that house weaving clusters as these are on UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites. 

The exhibition is unique in that it focuses on the weaving clusters themselves more than the textiles they produce. The exhibition aims to promote the desire to keep heritage textile clusters alive for the textiles they produce, the architecture they reside in, and their place in the heart of Indian culture. 

INTACH was founded in January 1984 as a heritage conservation organisation focusing on art, design, and textiles. The organisation recently held an exhibition to display the entries for its 2018 Heritage Awards that documented unprotected heritage sites across India. INTACH’s Heritage Academy is also currently offering Post Graduate Diplomas in Heritage Studies with the aim of training professionals to secure the future of India’s heritage sites and the organisation also hosts markets to sell heritage textiles and craft items.