: Woman Takes 4000-YO Indian Fabric to US, Germany Beyond, Helps Weavers Earn 40% More #IndiaNEWS Janhavi Kulkarni was in Class four when she started exploring the world of stitching, like every other

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Woman Takes 4000-YO Indian Fabric to US, Germany Beyond, Helps Weavers Earn 40% More #IndiaNEWS
Janhavi Kulkarni was in Class four when she started exploring the world of stitching, like every other kid in her region of Dharwad. More than being an unwritten rule it was the tradition of weaving beautiful embroideries for house decor that piqued her interest in fabrics and textiles.
Inspired by her mother, aunts and neighbourhood aunties making cholis (blouses) from the ‘khun’ or ‘khana’ material, she too would make dresses for her dolls.
Her interest soon took an educational shape and she moved to Mumbai to study textiles from SNDT University (she even won a gold medal in 1999).
As she transitioned from a student to an employee at an apparel export house and later at a home furnishing brand to motherhood, khun disappeared from her life.

The 4000-year-old indigenous fabric that was once an integral part of her childhood was now practically non-existent in her life. Unlike Banarsi Saree Brocade, Kalamkari, Bandhej, Mysore Silk and Bulachari, she realised khun was not so popular.
That’s why, in 2012, she got back to work after maternity leave and started KaleNale, an organisation to uplift weavers and make khun globally popular.
A decade later, the organisation has a presence in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia, Germany and more. It has the support of the Central Silk Board of Karnataka and is benefiting 8-10 workers in Guledgudda, the village where khun has its origin.
The Better India speaks to Janhavi, founder of KaleNale about the speciality of Khun, the approach she uses to draw people’s attention and how she convinced the weavers to bring back khun.
Khun: A Blend of Cotton and Silk

While there are very few historical accounts that help trace the origin of khun, according to folk tales, it was found under the Chalukya dynasty in the 8th century.
“The fabric is mainly used across regions of Karnataka and Maharashtra to make cholis for Ilkal cotton-based sarees and lehengas. The sarees’ distinctive feature of the colourful pallu, which is woven separately, compliments the khun blouse,� says Janhavi.
What makes khun unique is the additional yarn that is woven on the warp (lengthwise threads) and weft (filling) to make themed motifs on the cloth. The motifs are usually based on nature and the everyday lives of locals, which include jowar seeds, goddesses, regional flora and fauna. The waft is silk and the weft is cotton which forms the basis of khun.
“Traditionally, the fabric is weaved on handlooms and the size is 32 inches. Thus, there is zero wastage as that size is perfect for a blouse. The colours used are usually in jewel tones to maintain a vibrant consistency.

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