The walk to the loom begins early

Every morning in Ukhimath begins early for Meena Devi. Before leaving for the weaving centre there is already work waiting at home. Water has to be arranged food prepared and the kitchen fire lit before the rest of the day can begin.

For the past several years Meena ji has been walking nearly five kilometres every day to reach the weaving centre. The route changes with the weather. Some mornings are cold and quiet while others become difficult during rain or winter months. Yet the journey continues almost every day because weaving is now closely tied to the rhythm of her household and income.

Recently daily routines have become harder because of the shortage of gas cylinders in the region. Like many homes nearby Meena ji has returned to cooking on a wood fire whenever gas is unavailable. The kitchen fills slowly with smoke while meals are prepared the older way with collected wood stacked beside the stove.

The image of handmade textiles often focuses only on the finished scarf or shawl. What remains unseen are the many hours around it. The walking the cooking the waiting for supplies the household work before and after weaving.

When we visited Meena ji at her home she was sitting beside the chulha preparing food carefully over burning wood. The room was warm from the fire and blackened slightly from years of smoke and cooking. Later that same day she would still make the journey to the weaving centre and sit at the loom for hours.

In many weaving homes work does not happen separately from life. Both exist together in the same space. A loom may stand beside stored grain drying clothes school bags or kitchen utensils. Threads move through rooms where daily life is constantly unfolding around them.

At Kalangan these visits often remind us that handmade textiles are shaped not only by skill but also by routine effort and persistence. Every woven piece carries traces of the environment it comes from the homes, the weather, the journeys and the people who continue this work quietly every day.