Crafting Knowledge: Weaving as a Cultural Tool in Western India

This paper explores weaving as a cultural practice, emphasising its role as a dialogical and pedagogic tool. The study seeks to elucidate the diverse modes of learning and knowledge production within the broader historical framework of textile manufacture, trade and economic dynamics in Western India. The paper’s ethnographic focus centres on the Meghwal Vankars, a traditional weaving community from Bhujodi village in Kachchh district, Gujarat. 

Situated in a culturally rich but challenging desert region, Kachchh is a cultural cauldron of nomadic pastoralists, rain-fed farmers, and craft artisans, many of whom practice evolved forms of textile crafts. The study focuses on traditional knowledge systems and interconnections that bind communities and economies together. Central to this investigation is the “dhablo” shawl woven by the Meghwal Vankars, serving as a pivotal artefact. The shawl embodies a multitude of dimensions, encompassing issues of identity, material culture, economic sustainability, skill acquisition and knowledge exchange. 

What sets this research apart is the author’s distinctive perspective as a designer-weaver and educator. Through this unique lens, the study aims to discern variations in learning approaches within both the informal and formal educational settings, that help foster competencies to negotiate cultural contexts and market dynamics towards a sustainable livelihood.