How REHWA Society Preserves Maheshwar's 300-Year-Old Handloom Tradition

On an evening in 1978, a chance encounter on the ghats of Maheshwar would change the fate of an entire weaving community. Richard and Sally Holkar, descendants of the illustrious Holkar Dynasty, were approached by a weaver clutching finely woven cloth. His simple plea, to help his people find work again, struck a chord with the young couple. The handloom weavers of Maheshwar, once patronised by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar in the 18th century, had been pushed to extinction by industrialisation and mill-made fabrics flooding post-independence India.

Within a year, REHWA Society was born. Established in 1979 with a Central Welfare Board grant and 79,000 rupees investment, the organisation began in a structure that once housed a Shiv temple where Ahilya Devi had requested Brahmins to pray for her people. Twelve looms were set up, and twelve women in worn saris learnt to weave under Master Weaver Ganesh Bichwe's guidance. Uma Shankar, Project Officer at REHWA, recalls the founding vision: "Sally ma'am from the Holkar family, along with Richard, said: 'you bring the oldest designs, prepare them, bring them to us, show us, and we will take care of the marketing'."

Preserving the Maheshwari Legacy

Maheshwari handlooms trace back to the late 18th century, when Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar ruled Indore during its Golden Age. In the late 1700s, seeking better livelihoods for her subjects, the Maharani invited weaver communities from Mandu, who had woven the finest fabrics for the Mughals, to settle in Maheshwar and teach their craft. She gifted the beautiful textiles to royal dignitaries and Peshwa kings, ensuring royal patronage.

The textiles reflected Ahilyabai's aesthetic. As a widow in ancient India, her style was simple, poised, and elegant, qualities embedded in Maheshwari handlooms. Traditional saris were woven in peacock blue, bright yellow, forest green, and Indian red, with pallus in red, white, and gold zari stripes. The classic nine-yard pure cotton saris featured pallus at both ends, allowing them to be reversed when frayed, epitomising elegant versatility.

REHWA's conservation work centres on maintaining authentic techniques whilst ensuring contemporary relevance. Every product is entirely handmade, passing through several skilled hands. As Shankar explains, "The carvings inside Maheshwar fort are used on the borders of Maheshwari textiles." Borders like Leheriya (wave), Narmada (river), Rui Phul (cotton flower), Eent (brick), and Heera (diamond) continue being drawn from the fort and river, woven exactly as centuries ago.

The organisation's 45-year journey has seen those original twelve women, now "happily plump, surrounded by family," still working harmoniously. Shankar notes how the market expanded. "Slowly, the number of weavers increased here. The handloom market grew so much that many people came to buy, and local master weavers who we call Munshi Pati also advanced handlooms in business." Today, Maheshwar boasts approximately 5,000 weavers. REHWA has promoted Maheshwari saris across Indian metro cities whilst expanding into international markets across 23 countries.

Expanding Impact Through WomenWeave and The Handloom School

Recognising that conservation must extend beyond technique, REHWA established two additional initiatives. WomenWeave, registered in 2003, focuses on hand-spun and hand-woven khadi using locally grown cotton. "Our area is a cotton-growing area, so we thought, why not work on khadi? We'll create another unit, another organisation, another project where we do hand-spun and hand-woven work," explains Shankar. "In WomenWeave, similarly, women who are widows, separated, or single mothers are supported and given work for their livelihood." The organisation primarily exports to international markets through wholesale operations.

The Handloom School addresses a critical concern: ensuring young people view weaving as viable business rather than mere wage labour. "When we asked weavers' children what they wanted to do, everyone would say they'd seen their parents struggle their whole lives on wages, and they felt that on wages you can run a household but can't do much more, so they wanted their children to do something else," Shankar recalls. "Ma'am's vision was that handloom has such artistry, such a beautiful thing, that if you don't teach it to your children, it will end."

The school teaches business skills to young weavers aged 18-30, social media promotion, product development, costing, marketing. "How to promote on social media, how to make your products, how to sell, how costing works, how marketing works—all these things you learn at Handloom School," Shankar explains. Twelve batches have graduated, with many establishing successful enterprises.

Contemporary Challenges and the Case for Recognition

Despite successes, new challenges threaten the craft's authenticity. Shankar details a disturbing trend, "In the last two to three years, we have seen this new challenge. We used to sell Maheshwari by its original name, from bigger shops to everywhere. The master weavers at bigger shops too used to sell Maheshwari weave only, but slowly power loom made its market here. Then the seths of the bigger shops started to buy cloth from power looms from Surat and other places. These power loom cloths cost only Rs. 200-300 and they sell them for Rs. 2,000-3,000. Our Maheshwari weaves cost Rs. 2,500 to make and are sold for Rs. 3,000-3,500. Thus the profit is much less on our local handloom weaves and much more on power loom products."

Tourism's growth has paradoxically worsened this problem. "This is also a tourist area, the fort is a tourist spot. Before, the crowd that used to come were people who knew properly about the fort and heritage, but now due to the spread of information, more of the general public has started trickling in. This has also been misused. Shops have been opened at a rampant rate, and for their profits in turn power loom sarees are sold more due to affordability. Thus the identity of what is original handmade work is in danger because of this," Shankar warns.

This highlights why UNESCO recognition and government support become crucial. India's handloom industry supports millions of artisans across the country. Each cluster preserves unique techniques and traditions passed through generations. Without formal recognition, these clusters risk fading into obscurity. When handloom clusters receive international recognition, they gain visibility amongst global consumers, attract design collaborations, and create sustainable livelihoods keeping young people invested in traditional crafts.

When asked about potential UNESCO recognition, Shankar responds optimistically, "Yes, yes, absolutely, why not? If the government provides support or encouragement, or something happens, impact will come—it will benefit all of Maheshwar, it will benefit all the weavers."

REHWA's philosophy has always emphasised self-reliance alongside institutional support. As Shankar reflects, "Everything should be pure, everything should be good—that's why whenever they focused on these things and grew the market, their own efforts were greater." This approach, combining quality, contemporary relevance, and unwavering community commitment, has transformed REHWA from twelve looms into a heritage conservation beacon.

"The more effort you put in yourself, the more you will grow. You should have a vision within yourself of how to sustain this work for a long time," Shankar concludes.