How to tell an authentic Jamdani Shoba NarayanMar 11, 2019May 15, 20190 How to tell an authentic jamdani Read more
How to recreate a 100-year old Jamdani today? Shoba NarayanMar 11, 2019May 20, 20190 Darshan Shah of Weaver’s Studio, Kolkata pulls out what looks to be a white roll. It turns out to be a stunning jamdani weave that Read more
Welcome to the wonderful weaves of Jamdani Shoba NarayanMar 11, 2019October 23, 20190 Dozens of my friends in the South– Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad– love cotton sarees and especially those from Bengal. They may have their Coimbatore and Read more
Can you sell a saree for the price of an Hermes bag? Shoba NarayanMar 11, 2019February 1, 20210 Read more
Why are Bengalis (and their textiles) so diverse? Shoba NarayanMar 11, 2019May 15, 20190 Cotton sarees abound in India, but the jamdani weave is special. It has been quoted in poetry and displayed in Bollywood movies like Devdas. Why Read more
The investment banker turned (woman) politician in West Bengal Shoba NarayanMar 11, 2019February 1, 20210 Bengal is a land of beautiful women with a distinct dressing style-- white sarees with red borders thrown across the shoulder with a clump of Read more
Giving a new twist to an old textile tradition Shoba NarayanMar 11, 2019February 1, 20210 Designer Santanu Das’s atelier lies in a quiet street in the Ballygunge area of Kolkata. When I walk in, Das is getting read for a Read more
The cloth that looks like the vapour of dawn. Shoba NarayanMar 11, 2019June 27, 20190 Muslin – what magic does the name hold? What mystery lies behind the filaments of this fabric? Who wove it? Who wore it? If the Read more
How to make natural dyes? Shoba NarayanMar 11, 2019February 1, 20210 Natural dyed clothes are healthier for the planet and softer on the skin. In fact, there is a case to be made that natural dyes Read more
Rose Bushes and Mud Paths: a place called Phulia Shoba NarayanMar 11, 2019February 1, 20210 Phulia is a clean picturesque town. Getting here takes two hours, depending on time of day. I left Kolkata at 4:30 AM and reached Phulia Read more